LOVE & MAGIC
by Clavel
Summary: Meet Kaze Lhite. Her life is a complex web of lies. It seams that everything goes from bad to worse for this girl. And that doesn't change a great deal when Mr. King walks in.
1. Introductions I

**LOVE & MAGIC**

This chapter it's for Trinity - who reviewd Only You. Now you owe me a cookie!

I'm going to take a page out of Meg Cabot's book -as in the sayin, not literally. She does this in AAG - and write top ten lists somtimes, like this time.

(I uploaded the chapter that didn't had that bit. Sorry, I musn't have copy and paste it from the original file that I lost. Some of you might have read this part at Only You chapter Eight)

**Chapter One: Introductions I**

Meet Kaze Lhite: Her life is a complex web of lies.

Top then Reasons why Kaze's Life is Over:

10.- She is the youngest princess of the Lhite

9.- Her perfect older sister is getting married

8.- With the guy Kaze dated in secret for almost two years.

7.- Got her heart broken by his soon to be brother in law

6.- Now her parents want her to marry to, to the ugliest- but richest - of gits

5.- So she had to run away from home with the guards at her back trying to hunt her down.

4.- She landed on the Windam Valley court faking to be a boy so no one would go looking for her there

3.- Got a job as part of the king's guard and on the first day on the job she held a sword to her new employer's throat: The king

2.- Now she is the king's personal guard

And the Number One reason why Kaze Lithe's Life is Over with capital O:

1.- She met the guy of her dreams six seconds after swearing out of love.


	2. Heartbroken

**LOVE & MAGIC**

**Chapter Two: Heartbroken  
**  
The Windams had reined over the other three Kingdoms – Lhite, Maltha and Circe - for a long time, outside the Windam's domain there was Fireland and Seaside. It was a hard earned peace. Most people where afraid of the Windam Valley's Army and even more scared of their legendary Wind Warriors.

I was born in the Lhite country, a princess among them. My father's territory had – like the other two under Windam Valley's protection – once been part of Terra; its last king had been killed by the Wind Warriors generations before. Once Terra hadn't been a nice place to live, it was ruled by the most evil people known to men: The Braeden. King Bolek –rumor had it – had been the worst of them all. After the defeat of Bolek, Prince Rafer Windam split Terra into three territories and gave them to other people to rule them. Still we were the Windam's allies no matter what.

The Lhite country was famous for its horses. We breed the best horses all around. All the Cavalry of the Windam's army was provided with horses from our lands. We were also famous for our horsemanship. I liked being a Lhite princess. If it was true that my parents left quite a bit to be desired, and I hated the servitude my father showed to King Christopher – the current king of Windam Valley – and I particularly resented said Windam king for taking away my favorite horse two years ago, but those were things I could live with. I had a sister who, though ostensibly shallow, was very righteous most of the time, an older brother who was my best friend. And best of all: I was in love.

Adam was the crown prince of Circe. I had known him since forever. Having escaped my "coming out party" at age sixteen I had found him in one of the gardens. He was all what a Prince Charming was supposed to be and I thinkit was the effect of the moon, but I found myself in love. Love had hit me so suddenly I didn't even have time to cry out. Blissfully so, Adam seamed to fall as madly in love with me as I did with him.

Maybe he did, maybe it was a lie since the beginning.

And I should have known, right? He was always so full on about keeping "us" in secret, claiming he didn't want anyone – namely my overprotective brother – snooping around his private affairs.

All I knew was that two years later I was standing at my sister's twenty first birthday party – in a stupid ball gown -hearing how he was engaged to her, my sister Emily, of all people.

And I swear I could hear my heart break when I saw Adam kiss Emily in the way he said he only kissed me. First I was shocked, then shock gave room to disappointment; disappointment to sadness and sadness to hurt. And that hurt fuelled my anger.

I ignored Adam after that. As if "us" had never happened. Once he corned me, asking for a chance to explain himself.

"All I want to know is," I said controlling my breathing to not let him know how much his presence still affected me. "If you knew, two years ago, that you were betrothed to Emily? Did you just kissed me and said you loved me as a cruel joke, pretending to be in love?"

"I wasn't pretending, Kaze" Adam said in that sincere voice that once could have made me believe anything. "I love you. But Emily, well, She is what its right for my people."

"Swell." I said as if I didn't care.

And walked away from him, pulling away instead of closer once and for all. I thought this was the lowest point in my life.

Things couldn't get worst.

But I soon learned that I should have cheered up, the worst was yet to come.

End of Chapter Two


	3. Runaway

**LOVE & MAGIC**

**Chapter Three: Runaway**

Boring.

Beyond Boring. That's what my life ended up being without Adam. But I rather be bored out of my mind than being with him, as he had suggested, behind my sister's back. Emily didn't know anything about us, she was totally clueless. I couldn't do that to her.

Emily wasn't a bad sister. Bossy, shallow, yes. But not bad. Though I wished more than once that she shut up with the wedding-babble. Adam and Emily were set to marry in ten months, the day of Adam's 23rd birthday.

My brother Marco, on the other hand, was way less clueless. He had found me crying after Adam had suggested – to put it bluntly – that I become his mistress. As If! The more I get to know the two timing bastard that he really is, the more idiot I feel for even liking him in the first place. Anyway, I couldn't take it anymore and told Marco everything. And sure enough, that day at dinner, Adam had a black eye, Marco had made perfectly clear that he wasn't going to allow Adam cheat on his sister, and that his other sister was nobody's mistress.

And, out of fear of my brother, Adam backed off, finally, and for that I was grateful.

Boring was something I could live with.

One particular day about a month after my sister's engagement, while Emily was going on and on about the inconvenience of marring in winter (Adam's birthday was On December 21), my father cleared his throat, to signify that he had something to say. He was about to give one of his proclamations.

I prepared myself for long sermon about my lack of interest in finding a good suitor and how my less than agreeable looks and my lack of disposal to please was making it harder on him to find me a good husband.

"Kaze, dear," He said, in my head I was going _'Oh, good lord, what now?'_ "It appears to be that you have caught the eye of certain gentleman that I found most appropriate for you."

"I won't marry father, I plan to join the church," a total lie, but he didn't know me enough to tell the difference, and Marco was sensible enough to stifle a chuckle.

"You will no do such thing," my mother snarled.

"Try to stop me, I'm 18 now, and if it's my choice to join the church I will do so,"

"Shh!!" my father called before mother and I started our usual fights, "This man has asked for your hand in marriage and I've consented. So in three months you'll marry Lord Melnick."

I let out a rather unladylike curse and stood up. I know I curse too much, I guess I've been hanging around Marco's friends too much lately, thought they keep the foul language to a minimum when I'm with them, they still curse much more than me.

"I will not marry that dickhead!"

"Why not?"

"Because his your age, for one, and it's insufferable and pompous and a lecherous leprechaun!" That was a very accurate description of him. I was also scared of Lord Melnick, though I wasn't going to say that out loud.

Lord Melnick was bother of the King of Mhalta, thought everyone knew he was the one who actually ruled Mhalta, his brother being too sick and his nephew just a boy. The first clear memory I have of Melnick it's from when I was nine or so, he was already a man in his late thirties.

I remember him grabbing my arm to make me stop one time I crossed paths with him while I played in the hallways of the Lhite castle, he wouldn't let me go. I remember Melnick's face close to mine as he ran his fingers through my hair, and his stinky breath in my ear as he told me how pretty I was. I tried to scream and push him away, _'Don't fight little girl,' _he said, drawing back a little, _'you're still young but when you're old enough, I will have you.' _

I had been too much of a kid to understand what Melnick meant, but I wasn't so young anymore, and I could tell the meaning behind the looks he shot me whenever I was unfortunate enough to be in his presence.

And quite frankly I would rather die the Red Death than be near Lord Melnick.

"Father," Marco's voice shook a little and he was almost as pale as me. "You can't marry Kaze to that old mad."

"That man is one of my best friends!"

"That's not something I would go around saying, father." I snarled.

"Kaze sit down," my mother commanded. "And don't speak like that to us."

I didn't move to sit down. "Kaze Lhite, you're my daughter, and as long as you live under my roof you will obey my orders. You will marry Lord Melnick in three months and you will like it."

"Then I would cease to reside under your roof." I said calmly, and I stormed out. I didn't even notice my brother at my heels till I reached my room.

"What are you going to do, Kaz?" Marco asked, locking the door after himself.

"I'll run away, what else can be done?"

"You can't run you won't be safe in Lhite, neither in Circe or Mhalta. You can't go to Fireland or Seaside, they would find you quickly for you would have to register as a foreigner and wouldn't be able to cover your tracks. Both father and Melnick are influential, anyone will turn you back the second they realize who you are. No one short of Christopher Windam himself can get you out of this,"

"Well, I'm not going to horse-stealer for help, so that's out ruled. But I'll go to Jadzia, she might be able to help me."

"Doing what? Stabbing Melnick with her horn?"

"Marco, don't be a fool, never underestimate the power of an unicorn. Jadzia's magic is greater than anything you could imagine. What I can do are simple tricks compared to her power."

Jadzia's forest was the joint point of all kingdoms. It was surrounded by Seaside in the east, Fireland to the west, Windam Valley to the north and Circe, Lhite and Mhalta to the south. I had started to wander around the forest as a girl and meet Jadzia there, she became my friend, and in time she taught me to control the little magic I had been born with. Jadzia was old and wise and the most beautiful creature known to mankind. If there was someone who could get me out of this mess was her. Christopher Windam be damned.

"I don't understimate Jadz's power, or yours for that matter. But-"

"Marco, I've make my choice, I won't stay here to be turned into a Melnick's wife. Jadzia it's my only hope. I promise I'll be fine."

Marco sighed, he knew he wouldn't make me change my mind, and he trusted Jadzia more than what he was willing to admit. Magic unsettled him, that was true, but he knew better than to mess with a magician or witch. After all, it was Magic the reason why we all feared the Wind Warriors.

After twenty million advices of "be safe" he let me go, I snuck out to the gardens and then to the forest. Hopefully, no one would notice I was gone till morning, and by then I expected to be out of reach.

An hour after midnight I found myself in the heart of the forest.

"It took you long enough to come," Jadzia called, her ethereal glow illuminating the clear in the forest.

"Marco delayed me." I admitted.

"Of course." I knew Jadzia and Marco went way back. He had meet her in one of the rare occasions Jadzia took human form, though they never spoke about it, you could tell there was a story there. But that wasn't really my business.

"I need your help, but you knew that already." I said taking in her expression.

"The air will speak to you if you bother to listen," Jadzia said cryptically. "Tell me, what's your plan?"

"I was hoping you could help me with that."

"Mmm... Go to the Windam, it's the only place you will be safe."

"But Christopher hates me, remember? Remember that I threw a rock to his head when he took Ajax from me? And that he almost charged me with attempt of murder? That sissy," Ajax was my best friend, granted he was a horse but still.

"He is your only choice," Jadzia said calmly. "Now, tell me, how good it's your glamour spell?"

I blinked, "Fairly good," I said, I had learned the glamour spell to cover the many bruises and scratches I earned playing in the goods and taming horses, mother had once told me that if she saw one single bruise more, she would personally lock me in my room. "Why?"

"Well, I think Chris dislikes you enough to return you to your father the second he sees you. But I also happen to know that there are openings in the King's Guard. I know that Marco has taught you well, you might earn one of the positions and seek refugee there, by oath the Guard will protect you if you become one of them."

"Oh, Jadz, that would be perfect!"

"It would, if it weren't that the Guard only takes in men. That's why I was asking about the spell... I think that if you focus enough you could make it to pass as a boy."

A glamour spell could be used to do more than just cover bruises, you could mask your appearance to look like anyone or anything, but it required a powerful spell and loads of concentration to cast it. We spend all night perfecting the spell I would use, _'by night, by dark, by the old oak, be my disguise, may my reflection not show my true face...' _

By sunrise I was ready, Jadzia walked me to the north end of her forest and bid me goodbye. As usual, she helped me but not completely, I knew what I had to do, the question was how. I would have to come up with an identity and a general story of who I was. But I had time to think; from the forest it was a half-day walk to Could City, where the Windam's Great Palace was located.

I didn't mind the long walk. For the first time in a long while I felt truly happy. I felt free. I was away that everything that reminded me of my broken heart, the air was fresh and everything seamed possible.

End of Chapter Three.

Notes:

Too tired for anything else, just please R&R!


	4. Nice to Meet you

**LOVE & MAGIC**

**Chapter Four: Nice to Meet you.**

Getting into the King's guard was easier than what I expected. Ridiculously so. I knew my brother was a great swordfighter, but I never thought he had taught me that well. I managed to out best the instructor and he, impressed by my skill, assigned me to the palace right away, instead of making me serve as a common guard in the streets around the castle like everyone else. So within a day I had installed in one of the guards quarters in the second floor of the palace; and only 36 hours after I had made my gracious escape from the Lhite Castle I had a job and a safe place to stay.

I had been assigned as partner of a Colin Greeley; our job was to guard the armory hall, where the highest ranking officers practice with their swords and other weapons.

"You're lucky, it's fun to watch the officers fight, they are very good fighters," Colin informed me as we walked down the hallway in the ground level. He wasn't taller than me, maybe an inch. For once in my life I was happy for my 5 ft 8' height, I wasn't as tall as most guys in the guard, but I didn't look little, and that alone made it easier on my spell. "The only problem it's when they get tired and challenge us, the common guards. They think its fun."

"Oh, and do they do this often?"

"Not so much, mostly it's the king who does it. But if we keep quiet they might not even notice we are there."

We split inside the hall; it was a big square room with all kinds of weapons hanging in the walls, as well as the Windam's coat of arms, and the coat of each one of the Wind Warriors. It was a beautiful, functional space. As I took my place I saw that two men were engaged in a fierce weapons drill. I leaned back and watched.

Thought they were extraordinaire, they weren't perfect, the tallest one – he had black hair- had a slow left attack and the one with blond hair often hesitated in the blocks. Finally the one with dark hair won by making his opponent lose its sword.

"Anyone else?" he called to the other knights and army officers there. Only as he turned did I recognize him as Christopher Windam. I little smile curved my lips as I saw the scar that crossed his right eyebrow, that had been my rock. "What about you, Colin?"

"Sorry, my king, but my wrist is still sore from last time. Maybe my partner there would be interested."

Christopher spun around and saw me, his dark eyes unreadable as they fixed on my blue ones; he was clearly sizing me up. I tried to appear clam, he possessed magic, and he might be able to see past my spell if I wasn't careful. He didn't seam to notice anything abnormal. "You're new, I don't remember you," he said.

"Oh, I joined the guard yesterday, your majesty." I answered looking straight forward, a soldier's poise.

"And they put you in the palace already?" he inquired, rising the eyebrow with the scar on it. I smiled again. "Something amusing, soldier?"

"Not in particular, my king." I said, but in my tone was clear that I did find something amusing.

He smiled, mischievously but handsomely so. "Well, let's get on it, then" He said and tossed me the sword he was carrying; I picked it up out of instinct. "Is that too heavy for you...?"

"Kyle Lostry." I said, "And no." It had been heavy, but I made a quickie spell to make it lighter. He was clearly impressed by this. I knew my appearance wasn't really tough, I was tall enough to pass as a young man, but my built wasn't exactly manly, I covered it with the glamour spell, but I was no way nearly as broad shouldered or strong as the man in front of me, and he knew it.

But he was not as quick on his feet and it showed it as the little match began. _"Always let them attack first, size them up." _I could hear Marco's voice as he instructed me how to duel with his friends. _"Play their game, that's something they don't expect,"_ I matched his moves, one by one, not really attacking, blocking and evading his blows. _"When you're the weakest one, don't fight, avoid." _There, his slow blocking, I landed a good blow by his side; just enough to tore open his shirt without drawing blood. Christopher answered by landing one by my cheek, it bleed but I knew it would heal without scaring – it wasn't more than a scratch. It was easy for him; I knew he would try the "Attempt of Murder" again if I made him bleed. So instead in launching to attack next, I waited, I didn't let him land anymore blows and he was getting frustrated.

"_Always keep your head cool, even if your blood it's boiling, that's what it's going to save you in combat, it doesn't matter who it's stronger or more skilled, the winner will always be the one who makes less mistakes."_ That was the most valuable piece of advice any fighter could get.

Our swords clashed, I could feel the vibration all the way up my arm, but I didn't let go. He rolled over his shoulder to strike again. I ducked, taking a step back and rising up my sword, when he finished his rotation, Christopher had my sword at his throat and I was at arm's length, he could risk move to evade my sword and attack, but my hand wasn't shaking, and I had my eyes on him, if I saw the slightest movement I could just push and that would be his end; if we had been fighting for real, that is.

"That's it," someone called. "Lower your sword, Mr. Lostry." He said.

I obeyed without speaking and returned to my position, across the hall from Colin. Making a big spectacle of yawning and appear bored. I was tired, Christopher was even better than Marco, but he was already tired and that made it easier on me, he also didn't expect anything from me, and that made him careless. I had just been lucky. I was pretty sure my arm would be troubling like hell by the time I went to bed.

Christopher shoved away his friends – most of them of the female persuasion, if you get my drift - a little more to the left, two men –just like Christopher in their early twenties – were laughing at him, he ignored them too and strode over to me, eyes steady and as unreadable as ever.

"Who the hell are you? Where did you learn to fight like that?"

I blinked, yeah, I had come up with a name but I hadn't thought much about the past story of "Kyle Lostry", so I couldn't help myself and I answered with the truth: "Marco Lhite taught me." I said and his eyes winded in surprise. "I used to work at the Lhite Castle, I know Prince Marco because I worked with him and his sister training the horses for battle." I elaborated before he asked

"You know how to handle battle horses?" he asked.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "I was born in Lhite, sir, of course I know how to handle a horse. Especially in battle." I knew my tone was not friendly.

He laughed a rich, velvety laugh. "I tend to forget that you people from Lhite get over react when someone brings up horses."

"I don't think I'm over reacting, sir."

"Well, no, compared to Kaze Lhite, no one ever over reacts," one of Christopher's friends –the ones who had been laughing at him - chimed in.

"Yeah, Wes, you got that right," his companion said. Those were Wesley Roberts and Landon Covington, the other two Wind Warriors besides Christopher.

"Yeah, that little monster does over react," Christopher agreed, absently tracing his scar.

"So the dislike it's mutual?" I said innocently, "I always wondered..."

"Wondered what? Did the little brat say something about me?" Christopher asked, narrowing his eyes to me.

"Nothing. She just still calls you horse stealer... um, sir" I added belatedly, he looked furious, and then he turned around and stormed out.

"In the future, Kyle," Wesley said rather kindly, "Avoid mentioning the "horse stealer" part, Chris is still sensitive about that."

"As you say, sir." I said formally. I never thought he had actually cared about what I had said two years ago, I didn't even think he had listened to me.

"Don't worry about formalities, Kyle," Landon said, "Once we were part of the guard too, every knight was. And plus, we aren't really that formal here. But you might want to brush up your manners for the Chris's grandmother; Lady Stephanie is way into protocol."

"Take it as a friendly piece of advice." Wesley added.

Then Wesley and Landon sighed and went after Christopher.

Colin and I stayed in the armory for another couple of hours before we got our lunch break. Once in the guard's dinning hall.

"I think," Colin said pointing his fork at me, I could see a piece of meat half chewed rolling around in his mouth, it was gross, but I had spend enough time among my brother's friends not to notice it much anymore, "you're a mad man, Kyle. King Chris is nice and all, but you were speaking way too bluntly to him."

"He insulted the princess of the country I was born in, I couldn't have kept my mouth shut," I said picking on my salad.

"Lhite belongs to the Windam, it might be ruled by the Lhite, but it's just a façade, everyone knows it. Without the protection of Windam Valley there wouldn't even be a Lhite country to begin with."

"I know, but still. He did steal Kaze's horse, that stupid horse was her best friend. She was crushed afterwards. It's not at all gentlemanly to do that, is it? He just wanted a horse, any horse; but he took Ajax knowing it was hers."

"Please, don't keep anything in," A voice called at my back. "And I didn't know it was hers, but I should have guessed, that stupid horse won't follow anyone's orders, pretty much like its previous owner."

"Ajax is not stupid. It's the best horse I've ever trained. Maybe you just don't know how to give orders to him, that doesn't make him a bad horse, just makes you a bad horse rider."

"Like I said, by all means, don't keep anything in." Surprisingly enough, Chris didn't sound mad. In fact he sounded fairly amused.

"I wasn't planning to do so, your majesty." I snarled.

"Chris works too,"

I blinked, "What?"

He rolled his eyes, "Are you retarded, Lostry?" he asked, "You can call me Chris, everyone does."

"Whatever." I said annoyed. Really, this guy had called me more names in one day than most people did in a month. Of course, half of those names weren't directed to me, Kyle, but to Kaze Lhite.

"Anyway," he said easily, "I thought I would be wasting your talent keeping you guarding the armory, so I've decided you'll work directly with me. My former personal guard retired a few weeks ago and I've been looking for someone to fill the position. You got free the rest of the afternoon, but tomorrow present yourself at my personal quarters at 8 o'clock; I'll inform you of your obligations then."

"You're dumber than what I thought,"

"Excuse me?"

"You don't know me, and you want to trust me to keep your back? Are you high on something?"

He smiled, that charm-the-birds-out-of-their-nest smile, and I couldn't help to notice how attractive he was. "I'm not dumb. I know what I'm doing. Friend or foe, I'll keep you close enough to watch you; I'll have you killed the second I see something that strikes me – even slightly –as traitorous. Keep your friends close and you enemies closer, Kyle, remember that."

"Somehow," I told Colin as he walked me to my room, he was more excited than me about becoming the King's personal guard, "I don't think I'm going to enjoy this."

Without anything else to do for the day, I sat down to write to my brother, he would be worried until he knew where I was, but my arm was hurting and I decided to lie down and turn in early. I stretched on my side and as soon as I put the head in the pillow I snapped up, the scratch on my cheek wasn't bad but it sure hurt.

I turned to the other side. After a while, I found myself day dreaming about something, and to my horror I realized that something had been Chris.

"No, Kaze," I told myself quietly. "He might not be as horrible as you thought but remember... remember what he is.

I sat up again and forced myself to come up with this list:

**Top Seven things you need to know -and remember at all times - about Christopher Windam** (according to me, Kaze Lhite)

7. - He is a womanizer commitment-phobe 

6. – He's a horse stealer.

5. - He is king of Windam Valley

4. - And one of the Four Wind Warriors.

3. – He's Cute, if you like his type (tall, dark and handsome anyone?)

2. – He's arrogant, sarcastic and a jackass. (Not to mention a total baby when it comes to rocks being thrown to his head.)

**And the Number One thing you need to know about Christopher Windam is:**

1. - If you let him, he will break your heart in 10 seconds flat.

"Yes, Kaze," I thought. "Remember that. We have had enough with handsome guys."

End of chapter Four.

Notes from the crazy author (That should be doing a lab report...bad author, bad)

Okay, thanks for reviewing you guys! You rock.

Now some review answering (I don't answer often but I do read all the reviews)

Kat: Yeah, something kind of happened between Jadzia and Marco that one time she took human form, but it sort of died out when he found out she was an unicorn (he dind't know)

sealednectar: Thanks for the review

jammi: I'll see what I can do about that

EreshkigalGirl: Chris is the King, he has been king for about three years now.

Trinity: I feel about the same about Adam. Yeah, Marco is rather cute. Oh and thanks for pointing those things out, I'll pay more attention now. (and thanks, because you're one of the few people who has pointed out my mistakes without making me feel dumb)

angel-kiss7: I think this chapter is longer... what do you think?

Thanks for reading.

And please R&R!!!!!!


	5. As time goes by

**

* * *

LOVE & MAGIC**

**Chapter Five: As Time Goes By**

**Kaze**

I was out of breath when I pulled into a halted stop. Running around the Palace was no joke; those freaking marble floors were slippery.

"You're late." Chris declared without moving from his position, leaning against the door to his chambers. "You're always late, Kyle, do you need me to get you a clock?"

"I'm only five minutes late, and no, thank you." I said finally catching my breath. "What's up with you, it's not like you usually mind that I'm late. You aren't exactly a morning person, pal," I said sarcastically.

I had been Chris's guard for almost three weeks, and the first morning I had gone to his chambers, as he had told me, at eight o'clock, the guy almost knocked me over by throwing me a pillow and whining he wanted 'five more minutes'.

"Well, if you had bothered to be on time you would have known," he whined, again, he could be a real baby when he wanted, and he was older than me! "My grandmother just arrived, she wants us to meet her in her chambers in about, I don't know, seven minutes ago."

"Oh." I said. "Us? As in you and me? It's your grandma; I think you can handle her on your own, Chris."

"You clearly don't know my grandmother." He said pushing himself off the wall, "I told her I had gotten a personal guard at her request and she told me she wouldn't believe it till she saw it with her own eyes," Chris was, or so I had learned, famous for escaping all the guards that were assigned to him, the guy just didn't like having people following around all day long. Which was one of the reasons we got along, I hated following people around all day long. "That's how you got awarded with a moment in the presence of Lady Stephanie Windam." I could hear the sarcasm in his voice as he said the last part; he clearly didn't think that being around his grams was such an award.

"Then why didn't you just leaved a message, you could have gone ahead,"

"She told me I couldn't move more than three steps away from my door until you got here, and quite frankly I rather not risk her wrath."

I started to laugh, "Oh, grandma is going to spank you?"

"It's not funny," he said becoming irritated.

We reached Lady Stephanie's bedroom and Chris knocked, I had been living there for almost a month and he never, not for the love of his life, knocks. A very regal commanding voice called "Come in,"

"Hey, grams," he said putting on a fake, cheerful smile. "See I told you I had gotten a personal guard," and to my utter most surprise, Chris passed an arm around me and squashed me to his side, "You wouldn't believe me, but see, this is Kyle."

He kept me squashed against him. I never really had noticed how mushy guys are. I mean, I have female friends back home, okay, one, but whatever, you don't see us squashing against each other or giving the other friendly slaps in the butt the way guys do.

"Well, child, can you blame me for not believing? I always tell you to get a wife, and it's not like you listen to me."

I started to laugh, really, not only Lady Stephanie had called him, the almighty King Christopher – age twenty three – 'child' but he had also managed to make him turn beet read by mentioning the 'W' word. If it was over embarrassment or over fury, I didn't know.

I started to laugh, which made Chris drop the arm and Lady Stephanie look at me. "Kyle?" she asked, I nodded, barely controlling my laugher. Then she said nothing, just stared at me and I could feel myself getting red too. Was my cover about to be blown up? I wasn't sure if Lady Stephanie had magic... what if she was able to look past my spell? "Your eyes," she said to my surprise.

"They are two, right?" I asked. I have an uncanny tendency to point out the obvious when I get nervous.

"They are wary," she said, "Something happened to you that made you don't trust the people around you. You laugh and smile and seem happy, but you know no peace."

"Pardon me?"

"Yes, something happened to you," she continued, still staring right at my face, I wasn't red anymore, I was pretty sure I looked like a ghost. "And it wasn't long ago."

I shook my head, "Milady, with all do respect, I don't know what you're talking about," I said, proud that my voice was not shaking.

"Yes, you know. Someone betrayed your trust."

"Ma'am, if you must know, I wasn't very trustful to begin with. And it's a given that someone betrayed my trust, everyone gets betrayed once or twice, is part of life and part of growing up." I was getting defensive, I the woman was seeing past my spell; well she could just come out and say it already.

"If you say so." Lady Stephanie said, dropping the subject, but I could tell she was only doing it because she thought it was too painful for me to talk about it or something among those lines. Luckily my cover was still intact. But I was starting to see why Chris always seamed irritated when talking about his grandmother.

After ordering me not to lose sight of Chris at any moment, launching into a speech about patriotic duty, and how important was to keep him safe – at least until he reproduced and left and heir – and all that stuff that got us Chris and I alternatively rolling our eyes, Lady Stephanie dismissed us.

For a few days – and under Lady Stephanie's orders - I couldn't leave Chris alone for more than five minutes, I even had to move to a bedroom the fifth floor, where his chamber was located, it was a way bigger room than the one I had in the second floor with the rest of the guards, and I actually had a window, but I would rather be back in my 9ft x 9ft room than climbing all those freaking stairs. Finally, we got so sick of seeing each other all day long that we came up with a plan so he could have his alone time and I could have my alone time and Lady Stephanie didn't find out.

We both sneaked out saying we were going somewhere then we would split and meet back at a predetermined point at a predetermined hour. I was very happy with this arrangement, especially because I could lose Lady Carla. Lady Carla was Chris's cousin and had arrived with Lady Stephanie. I had just known the girl for a couple of days when she declared her undying love for Kyle, and then I had her breathing down my neck all day long.

Why had Carla liked Kyle, I have no freaking clue – I knew how my boy-fake image looked, and it wasn't at all impressive, not compared to some of the hunky knights I had meet while living on the Palace - but I was more than happy to lose her for a few hours.

In one of those escapades, I ended up by the side of a river that ran through a forest. It wasn't quite as pretty as Jadzia's forest but it had it charm. I looked for a clear space were Ajax – Chris had given him to me since Ajax seemed to obey me, I guess his pride didn't allow him give it back to Kaze – could drink water and I could rest for a while.

I was starting to doze off when I suddenly heard a lot of sounds, people screaming, but joyful screaming. And soon enough a bunch of guys passed by my side and jumped into the river making a big splash and all I could think off was "thank god the kept their pants on." I hadn't seen a naked guy ever in my life and I didn't want to start right then.

"Kyle?" I heard someone, the only person who hadn't jump yet. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Chris. I just started to wonder around and got here."

"It's a nice place, isn't it?" he said seating next to me, he had told me he and his friends were going to this place in the woods they liked, he asked me if I wanted to go I said I didn't. Is not that I don't like his friends, I get along pretty ok with Landon and Wes but when I've been around them all, I hear them talking about all the stories they share, the places and people... and it sort of makes me miss my friends more, so is easier just avoid.

"Yeah, is nice," I said and I lay back again, feeling the sun warm, summer would be here soon.

I started to doze off again. But then I was awaked by the sound of laughter. "Like cheesy songs, don't you?" Chris asked me. I sat up again, he was lying on his side, head popped in one of is hands.

"You were singing a song, all girly if you ask me. _You must remember this, a kiss is still a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh, the fundamental things apply, as time goes by. And when two lovers woo they still say, "I love you." On this you can rely No matter what the future brings As time goes by," _he sang in a rather pleasant voice, I didn't see him becoming a singer but he wasn't totally off of key. "And that's how far you got," he said. "Where the hell did you got that cheesy song from?"

I blinked, "It was my grandmother's favorite," I said, "It's rather catchy, you know, I always find myself singing it, it gets stuck in the head."

"I certainly hope it doesn't get stuck in mine," he said laughing. "Love songs is something I can't put up with,"

"I know, me neither." I said with a bit of a sigh.

"She was right," he said, I must have looked confused because he elaborated, "My grandmother, what she said about someone betraying your trust. Don't bother denying it, I've been there."

"Really?" Somehow, I couldn't bring myself to believe that, Chris was, after all, a notorious ladies' man.

"Oh yeah," he said absently, "Her name was Pamela, I was young and stupid and thought I was in love, I would have married her in a second..." he trailed off a bit.

"What happened?"

"She said she liked me, but not enough to assume the responsibilities of being queen. She decided to marry someone else. Though Pamela did told me that if I ever felt like having a mistress she was all for it,"

"That sucks," I said. "It was something like that with me too," I said without elaborating; let him fill the blank spaces.

"Is that why you left Lhite?"

I laughed, "That's what the scummy rat wishes. Actually no, it was because of my sister, she is up to marry in the winter and she kept talking wedding stuff. I was about to go nuts, have I stayed there I would probably had knocked my head against the wall or something, just to put me out of the misery,"

We just sat there for a while, then he stood up, "I'm going in," said Chris, "why don't you come, it's getting warm here."

"Not thanks, I'm afraid of the water" A total lie but what did he know. That was, right then and there my first mistake.

"Oh, really?" a grin full of mischief spread across his face. "Hey, guys!" he yelled to the four or so guys in the water, "Kyle, here, is afraid of the water,"

"Aw." They said as if they were girls looking at a puppy.

And next thing I knew I was being thrown to the river head first. Then everything went black. Next time I opened my eyes, I was soaking wet, the sun was blindingly bright and I had Chris' face over mine. "You weren't joking, were you?" he said half sarcastically half wondering. "With the water thing?"

Oh, now I remember, "No I wasn't joking," I said pushing him off and standing up, only to discover that my head hurt like hell and it was bleeding from up above my right eyebrow. I also knew I had lost control over my spell. Luckily, Jadzia had given me a pendant for occasions such like this, when I couldn't come up with my spell, the magic of the stone she had given me -and that I had hanging from my neck – would sustain the spell for a while, I could feel it as if it was a beating heart hanging from my neck, and I knew it wouldn't last long.

I started towards Ajax, suddenly I felt so freaking tired. I wanted to go home. No my home wasn't in Lhite, I was talking about my grandparents house, when I had been a girl I had been allowed to stay there for months at a time, I would curl up in my soft bed and hear my grandmother sing me lullabies, the fire cracking merrily and my grandpa pretending to read a book while all he was doing was looking at grams. That was home. I had once had a home. Mom never was too fussed up about letting me go, the only condition was that I didn't told anyone that her parent's weren't rich merchants as she had everyone believe, but simple farmers in one of the provinces. That was my mother's biggest secret, and for a home I didn't know of in the Castle, I kept it for her.

I climbed onto Ajax, my head pounding with each movement, and I leaned against him, "Lets go," I said and he started to move, I heard someone calling _'Kyle' _but I didn't turn to see, I trusted Ajax to take me to someplace safe, since home was unavailable.

* * *

**Still by the river side**

"Is he crazy or something?" Chris asked out loud, "he wants to ride with his head bleeding like that? People from Lhite are so weird. I mean, is no wonder having the princess they have,"

"Oh, no, mate, not again," Wes, growled.

"What?" Chris snapped.

"You always find a way to bring young miss Kaze Lhite into the conversation." Landon explained.

"Is like you're obsessed or something." Another knight by the name of Thomas added.

"I am not obsessed with the brat," Chris snarled.

"Of course not," everyone said sarcastically.

"Look, I know she caused an impression on you –and I'm not talking about the one in your eyebrow – just because she was the firs person of the female persuasion who addressed you with something else than flattery. But man, you haven't seen that girl in two years and you still bring her up to the conversation. LET. IT. GO." Wes said.

"I don't know what you are talking about, I better go and see that Kyle doesn't kill himself on the way back to the palace," Chris declared and started to get lost in the forest.

* * *

**Kaze **

I walked fast through the hallways of the palace, cursing the fifth floor all the way up; I had almost made it when I came face to face with Carla.

"Oh my god!" she said looking at the blood in the side of my face, "What happened to you, Kyle?" I could feel the magic leaving the stone. One. Two. Three. The magic was gone and all bets where up. "Kyle?" Carla asked blinking fast, "You aren't Kyle, who are you?"

I broke down in tears.

Right there, I started to cry and babble all about Adam and Emily and Melnick and the river and I didn't stop until I was out of breath.

"Wow, wow, wow, slow down. I didn't got a word," Carla said, then he looked at me intently, "You are Kaze Lhite, aren't you?"

"Uh, yes."

"Oh, dear. Then? Oh, ok, listen, you go inside and get out those close and I'll bring something for your head. Ok?"

"Fine. But, how did you know?"

"Oh, I remember you, I saw you and your brother at a dance like three years ago, you haven't changed much. I asked who you were because I liked your brother," Carla explained easily, absently fingering her strawberry-blond hair, "I thought he was cute, anyway, just go inside, I'll be back. And I want the whole story!!!"

"Oh, dear." I said but I went inside my room anyway, and I changed and when Carla came back I explained everything.

She took it pretty well. Carla said that she was happy to know that 'Kyle' hadn't liked her because 'Kyle' was a girl – me – and not because she was losing her charm. She also said she would help me, Carla seamed to have something against arranged marriages, and she swore to keep my secret from Chris and the rest of the guard. Her only condition was that I introduced her to my brother, I said I would; Marco needed some lovin' after all.

And she took it seriously, when she was closing the door of my room, I heard her arguing with Chris.

"No, I won't let you in." She said categorically. I had told her that I couldn't focus because of the pain in my head and I couldn't cast the spell again, and that the rock would take a few hours to recharge and cover up for me again.

"Why not?"

"Because he is asleep, you almost killed him Chris." Carla said, dramatically, "You really are going far in the whole 'I don't like to be babysat' thing. You could just have said so, no attempt murder!"

"I wasn't attempting murder!" Chris cried. "Look, I feel awful, ok? I want to apologize."

"Serves you well to feel awful!" Go Carla. "Now, go. Leave the poor kid to rest."

"Suddenly is a kid? What happened to you undying love for him?"

"I have decided I want him as a friend. Plus Kyle is too young for me. He hasn't turned nineteen yet! Imagine how that would look!!!" She shrieked in terror about being with someone younger than her. I smiled. Carla might be a pain in the butt as a potential girlfriend but she was pretty good as a friend.

* * *

**Chris**

I fully meant to apologize last night, but Carla wouldn't budge.

I opened the door to Kyle's room. There was him on his bed, just that as I came closer, to see if he was awake, I swear to god it was a girl. I blinked, and no, it was Kyle.

"What the hell?" Kyle asked, voice rough with sleep, when he noticed my presence. "I'm not going to work today, I'm taking a sick day. Now get the hell out of my room."

"It's my palace, I can be wherever I like," I answered, still confused. I could have sworn it was a girl.

"I don't give a damn. Get the fuck out." Kyle said, throwing me a pillow. "I swear if you make me get up to throw you out I just might as well kill you. Now, GET OUT!!!"

I got out, ok.

But I could have sworn it was a girl, and that it looked a lot like Kaze Lhite.

Maybe my friends are right. Maybe I am obsessed.

* * *

**Kaze**

What a nerve!

The guy could have knocked the door, couldn't he?

Oh, god, my head hurts. Thank good Jadzia's pendant is working again. Just in time, it started to work just before I realized Chris was in my room. I almost blow it with someone else and that is something I can't afford.

But really, Chris could have waited till I felt better if apologizing was his intention, that didn't look like it was but whatever.

What does a girl needs to do to get some rest?!!!!

* * *

End of Chapter Five

Notes:

Just a few quick notes. The Song it's called "As time goes by" and it's from the movie Casablanca.

Chris did saw Kaze, but just as he blinked the magic of the pendant started to work again and then he saw Kyle. Chris does have magic, only that he is too lazy to practice it, and Jadzia's magic is much more powerful than his, that's the reason why no one has seen pass the spell

gatorchick007: Thanks :D

angel-kiss7: This one is even longer :D

Jessieness: Hi!!! Did I told you I loved Clair de Lune (sorry if spelled wrong) you rock!

sealednectar: I try, but school often gets in the way.

UnangelicHalo: Hi Kat!!!

jammi: I try :D thanks for reading

EreshkigalGirl: It common knowledge that Chris has had his share of affairs. And I'm not sure about how to pronounce the name, I was told it was "Kah-Seh" but I'm not sure, I know it's japanese and it means Wind or Brezee.

Trinity: I said about Chris in this chapter, and look to what I wrote to EreshkigalGirl about Kaze's name. Yes she did wrote those things, then properly distroyed it. I actually don't have "is" "its" and "it's" miked up, they just slip away because I'm doing like twenty things while I write. English isn't my first language either :) I speak spanish. I don't know how far I can go wit the arrasing.

LindyLou78: I updated :)

Thank you all for reading.

Gotta run

Bye.


	6. Is not Unusual

**LOVE & MAGIC**

**Chapter Six: Is not Unusual**

It wasn't a wonder that a week after my little encounter – up close and personal – with the river, my brother showed up at the Windam Palace. As it was expected he asked for audience with Christopher, you know protocol, and as he waited he ran into Carla and Carla took him to the library, where I had been hiding from Chris. He tried to apologize, I said, "Ok, sure, whatever" and asked to be transferred back to the common guard but he wouldn't let me so I started to take sick days.

I was perfectly okay, mind you. I was going to get a little scar but it was hidden in my hair so I wasn't even mad about that, but I had been taking seven consecutive days of sickness and I know it was pushing it but I didn't care, I wanted to be back in the common guard. I need to be back in the common guard and far away from Chris as soon as possible.

Is not that I didn't like him, or that I was mad at him for being a jerk. That was the problem, that I wasn't mad and that I did like him. I had taken an oath of never falling in love again, that night when I had heard of my sister's engagement to the man I had loved for the past two years. I couldn't risk my heart again, there would be nothing left of me and I knew it, that's why I took that oath. But Chris was too good looking for his own good… true, he exasperated me but he also made me laugh and I knew for a fact that wasn't a good combination.

In fact that had been the combination that had spelled my doom with Adam: Cute, good looking, funny and exasperating. I wasn't willing to take risks.

"Oh, Kaz, I was worried sick about you!" Marco said throwing his arms around me.

"Ok, ok, just easy with the squeeze," I said.

He didn't hear, whoever, "I just had this really bad feeling in my gut and I knew I had to come here to see you."

"I'm fine, bro, really." I said, speaking pass my lack of air.

"Why do you sound so funny?"

"Mm… I think she needs some air." Carla said. Marco turned to look at her as if she was nuts but then turned back to me and let me go.

"Thank goodness," I said rubbing my ribcage. Just then I looked at him, Marco hadn't change one single bit, I hadn't seen him in two months and I had missed him dearly. Just then it occurred to me, "How did you recognized me?"

"Oh," he said blinking. "Well, Jadzia said that I probably would. She said that there is no magic that can fool love so, since I love the real person, I would be able to see you, the real you, always even when my level of magic is down in the negative side of the charts."

Carla started to laugh again, "You have no idea how funny it was. Because to me you look like guy…"

"Oh, speaking of which. I talked to Jadzia, she said that the constant use of magic might be taking a toll on you, so she gave me this," he pulled out of his pocket another pendant –this one was blue, the one hanging from my neck was light green – she said this one will keep up the magic indefinitely so you wouldn't have to use so much of your own energy. If you want to look like yourself just take the pendant off."

After he had safely tucked the green pendant in his pocket, we started to chat. True to my word I was making and effort for Carla and Marco to hook up, though I didn't need to strain myself hard, those two liked the looks of each other almost immediately. Marco was telling Carla all sorts of embarrassing stories about our childhood – like my secret passion for fishing.

"Oh, man, that was fun!" I said laughing. And then added with a bit of a sigh, "I miss wearing skirts,"

"Um, Kaze, do I need to remind you that you used to hide under my bed each time mom wanted you to don a skirt?"

I blinked, trust Marco to remember that kind of thing, "I'll rephrase that. I miss the option of wearing a skirt. Men's clothing is quite monochromatic," I said pointing to my outfit, which was black trousers and white shirt. The same thing I'd been wearing everyday for the past couple of months.

"I guess." He said with a shrug. Marco never worries about his looks but he looks fine most of the time, he has this really green eyes and dark hair though not as dark as mine, isn't exactly quite light as Emily's.

"Prince Marco," Christopher called walking in the library. "A pleasure as always,"

"Is nice to see you well, your majesty," Marco said lapsing back to the formal detached tone of a future monarch.

"As well as one can be," he said pleasantly. Though they got along, they had never been what you could call chummy. "To what do I owe your visit?"

"My sister, actually." Marco had already informed me what he was going to say so I wouldn't look too surprised to hear.

"Emma?" Chris asked looking perplexed. It was common knowledge back home that Emily had had a crush on Chris when she was fifteen or so.

"Emily, that's my older sister but I wasn't talking about her. The problem is Kaze actually, she ran away a few weeks ago."

"What happened?" I asked fake surprised.

"Well, she didn't take the news of her upcoming nuptials too well," Marco said looking all concerned, he liked drama that was for sure. "My father sent me to ask you and your guards that if you see her please let us know. But, on a more personal note, please don't."

"What do you mean?" Chris asked.

"Well, see, the night father told her she had to marry Lord Melnick, Kaze just got up and said something about that she wouldn't do it and after that no one has seen her."

"Lord Melnick, EW!!!" Carla said emphatically, "No wonder why she ran away, I would have ran too, and twice as fast."

"Those are exactly my feelings on the subject," Marco said with a smile in Carla's direction, I tell you, I was already hearing wedding bells for those two, it might seem rushed but I know my brother. "That's why, if you see her, please don't send her home."

"I don't think she'll come this way," I said with a smile, "you know how Kaz feels about…" I looked to Chris.

"You're probably right, Kyle." Marco said, "But you never know, twisted little mind that one had,"

"Yeah, true."

"Hey! I know," Carla chimed in suddenly, after a moment of silence, Chris looked rather meditative, "Let's throw a ball," she winked in my direction and I swear I saw the little engrains of her brain working, Carla had told me she had wanted to dance with my brother since that time like three or four years ago than she had first seen him.

"What?!" Chris asked surprised.

"Yeah, it's the protocol, Christopher. When a ruler of another country comes to visit you ought to throw a ball, is what it's done."

"But his sister is missing, I don't think Marco wants to attend a ball, he must be worried."

"About Kaze?" Marco asked amused, "Nah, she is a tough cookie, I'm sure she is fine," he said throwing me a meaningful look, I could see in his eyes that he was proud of me, "she is, let say, resourceful."

"Okay, then is settled!" Carla said, "Come, Marco, I'll show you your room, then grams and I will get into preparing that ball."

Marco and Carla went away chatting merrily.

Chris slumped into a chair near mine, I was pretending to read this book called "Meditations of a perturbed mind", real cool book.

"Why so glum, chum?" I asked after a while in which Chris looked rather depressed.

"Suddenly decided to talk to me again?" he asked sarcastically.

"Well… I'll shut up then," I said looking back to my book.

"Is just that I don't think this ball thing is a good idea?"

I digested this, "Funny I thought you would like dances, isn't that the place where guys like you pick up girls?"

"Guys like me?"

"You know, the 'I'll-bed-anyone-with-breasts' kind."

"Au contraire of what people think, I'm not like that," he said sounding really hurt. "I just don't like dances, ok?"

"Why? Have two left foots?"

"No, dancing is ok. What I can't put up with is with the singing part."

"Singing part?"

"Of course, you know what kind of Balls Carla likes? Masquerades. And you know what you're supposed to do in a Masquerade ball?"

"Oh," I did know this, "The guests have to sing, right?"

"Yeah. So does the host."

"Talk about embarrassing." I said. "Thank God I'm taking a sick night too," I said calmly turning the page of my book and ignoring him.

"Yeah, talk about embarrassing."

End of Chapter Six.

…

This one was just a little filler for the dance coming in the next chapter.

Gotta go now. Sister is kicking me out of the chair.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Little tease from the next chapter?

_I told Chris my name was Kaz, only that I said it as if it was spelled Cass... let him believe my name was Cassandra, is not like he would ever see me again. I couldn't take risks. It was bad enough I though he was attractive; I couldn't take the risk of falling in love. _

_I had made an oath. And oaths aren't a something to be toyed with when you have magic like I do for your magic will hold you to your oaths; first it will go against you till you almost die then against what you love the most because everyone know you never go for death when you can go for pain._

Read and Review!!!

Thanks! :D

Lots of love

Alex.


	7. Moonlight

**LOVE & MAGIC**

**Chapter Seven: Moonlight**

**Kaze**

Something that always amazed me about Emily was how truly gorgeous she could be. It was a characteristic she shared with Carla. I couldn't help to realize how plain I looked next to her – the same way I always thought I looked plain next to my sister – I was, by no means, what you could call a breathtaking beauty. I was alright, you know, for being me but I didn't expect anyone noticing me at the masquerade ball. Which was good, in a way, I didn't want people to notice me.

But when I saw my brother's jaw drop when he saw Carla, I wondered what it felt like to be looked at in that way.

I shoved these envious feelings aside. "_Envy is the path that will lead you to hell". _That's what my grandmother used to say whenever I complained about anything my siblings had – Emily's looks and charm, Marco's brain – and I had not. My grams always willed me to believe I was good at something, just that I hadn't found it yet. It was hard, but I always remembered that: "Envy is the path that will lead you to hell."

I was hiding in the back of the ballroom. Marco and Carla dancing around. I had just seen Chris made a fool of himself by singing "Fly me to the moon" totally off key, which made me smile since I knew for a fact he could sing better than that. It was almost midnight and I decided I rather go to bed. Kyle had taken the night off but he was expected to present for duty first thing in the morning – I was actually going to do it since Marco said I should stop pushing it – so I went to look for Marco and Carla to tell them I was off for the night and to tell Carla that I would leave the dress in her room before I went to bed.

I had just spotted my brother and his new ladylove – Carla and he were smitten with one another- When I was suddenly grabbed by the arm, "Why don't you sing for us, honey?" To my horror it was Lady Stephanie. You can't say no to Lady Stephanie.

"But,"

"No buts," she said happy and let me there standing next to the piano.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," the piano-man, and old man with all his hair already white, told me. "After what the king sang, anything will sound like angels."

"I only know one song," I blurted out.

"Which one?" He asked and I leaned in to tell him, it was rather embarrassing since I practically didn't know anyone my age who new it, it was so un-fashion. "Oh, I know it!" Sam – I learned that was his name – said smiling. And the tune came, soft and reassuring.

"_You must remember this_," I sang, I was sure the only reason why they could hear me – if the could hear me at all – was because, very politely, the other guests had shut up –as they had done all night long – when they saw there was someone singing. I was sure they were just going to make fun of me in private.

But still, the song was so close to my heart that I just let go. I didn't care if they made fun of me.

......

**Chris**

That tune was surprisingly familiar, though I couldn't quite place it till the girl started to sing. It wasn't a particular good voice or anything. Nice, that's what I would define that voice as: nice but not special. And I thought the same could be said for the owner, it was a nice looking girl but not exactly stunning or anything, average.

But there was something. And I couldn't stop watching. Maybe it was because she was singing as if she meant it, as if that song meant something to her.

_Moonlight and love songs,_

_Never out of date._

_Hearts full of passion, _

_Jealousy and hate_

_Woman needs man._

_And a man must have his mate._

To my right I heard, of all people, Marco Lhite singing along, _"On this you can relay,"_

"Do you know the song?" I asked politely, personally I had only hear half of it before, that day in the river. Lostry's grandmother's favorite song.

"Oh, yes. It's my sister Kaze's favorite," Marco said easily as the melody build up for the end, "Our grandmother taught it her and ever since you can't get Kaz to shut up with that. I'm pretty sure is the only song she knows."

_It's still the same old story,_

_A fight for love and glory_

_A case of do or die._

_The world will always welcome lovers._

_As time goes by._

"Must be popular," I said.

"Not really." Marco said with a shrug, clapping now that the song had ended. "Besides Kaz, I don't know anyone who knows it,"

....

**Kaze**

Not with little embarrassment I walked out the ballroom. I saw Marco and Carla standing next to Chris so I decided I wouldn't approach me. Supposedly I was one of Carla's friends; since Carla had just made Marco it wouldn't make any sense if I went up to them and excused myself. I knew the shortest way to my room was through the interior garden, it was more like one of those mazes, but I had walked it enough times to know the way.

The moon out was so full and bright that I didn't even thought about brining a candle with me to find the way. Just at the heart of the maze was a fountain, I sat down on the edge looking up at the stars.

I heard a sound at my back, coming from the maze.

"Got bored?"

I looked, it was just Chris. Looking rather delectable, if I might add, in his formal evening wear. "Just a little," I said without paying much attention to him. Or pretending I wasn't paying much attention.

"Yeah, these things can get really boring really quickly." He said and, to my surprise, sat next to me, he had taken off his mask I still had it safely on.

We stayed there in silence. And the weird part was that it wasn't really awkward just, you know, quiet. Finally I gave up, the mask had been bothering me all night and now I was getting itchy so I took it off.

"I was starting to wonder when you would do that," Chris said smiling without looking at me, just waving his hand in the general direction of the mask in my hand. "They itch, don't they? Masks I mean." I didn't answer. Just stared to the sky, "You know that you were the only person in the ball that kept his or her mask all night long?"

"You were really bored, weren't you?"

"I like to people watch. I thought you were hiding something,"

"I'm hiding a lot of things, but none of them are of your concern."

"You say that and it leads me to thing that there is something of my concern among the things you hide," he was teasing; I could tell by his playful tone, it was the same he had used on Kyle that day in the river.

"And that leads me to think that you're really self-absorbed." I answered thinking that I just might end up in that fountain.

"I've been called worst," he said with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

_Snap out of it already, Kaze Lhite, he looks good, we already knew that. I swear I'll kill both of us if you start to act stupid._ "If I didn't know better I could think you're flirting," I said to quite down the voice in my head.

"If you didn't know better? What do you know? I just might be flirting,"

"I'm too ugly for someone to flirt with me."

Then he turned to look at me for the first time since he had sat next to me, "You got pretty eyes,"

"That's what guys say when they can't find another feature on a woman's body to their liking."

"I would have to get a closer look to your body to make that assessment,"

"Lewd," I said. "How nice."

"You asked,"

"I did not,"

And then conversation flowed. It was a bit weird because he wasn't talking to me as he did with other women. I had heard him talking to women, and Chris acted like the ultimate Lothario, all gallant and stuff when the only thing he was doing was looking at the breasts of the woman in turn. He hadn't look at my breasts, not even once. Not that it was a surprise, guys never looked at me that way - mostly because most guys I knew were Marco's friends and they always thought of my as the five-year-old-little-Kaz. Anyway, Chris was talking as if he considered me intelligent enough to understand something that wasn't related to fashion or parties, kind of as if we were friends and had known each other for a long time.

It was kind of funny too that he didn't ask my name or offered his.

Two hours later I decided it was time to go. We exchanged goodbyes as the church clock announced it was two in the morning. Just as I was leaving he asked for my name.

I told Chris my name was Kaz, only that I said it as if it was spelled Cass... let him believe my name was Cassandra, is not like he would ever see me again. I couldn't take risks. It was bad enough I though he was attractive; I couldn't take the risk of falling in love.

I had made an oath. And oaths aren't a something to be toyed with when you have magic like I do for your magic will hold you to your oaths; first it will go against you till you almost die then against what you love the most because everyone know you never go for death when you can go for pain.

"Hey, I'm Chris, by the way!" He yelled as I disappeared though the maze, "Maybe we'll see each other around."

I couldn't help myself and I yelled "Maybe!"

I sneaked back into my room. Changed clothes and put my pendant back on. I heard some voices in the hallway and I opened my door only to see Carla and Marco laughing – you could tell they had tried to keep it down but had forgotten already – they really seamed to like each other. I was happy for them.

I decided I wasn't going to interrupt them, who knew? They might be already kissing or something that is equally gross when it's about your brother. I looked out of my window, the moon was bathing everything with a silver glow and I saw Chris walk out of the maze, he seemed to have no other worry in the world.

I was smiling at the sight of him, feeling completely happy, which made no sense at all since all we had done was talk. But I don't know. Still, I could hear the alarm horn going off in my head, that's why I started to look up for that list, the one I had made weeks before when I first had moved to Windam Valley. But just as I went through the drawers I remembered I had burned down that one.

So I sat down and came up with another list.

**TOP FIVE RESONS WHY YOU, KAZE LHITE, HAVE TO STOP THINKING ABOUT CHRIS RIGHT NOW!!!!**

5. - Remember a little thing called an oath?

4. - Remember that most men are scummy rats? Remember what happened with The RAT (a. k. a. Adam Circe)

3. - You can seriously not compete with his past women.

2. - He thinks your someone else!

**AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY YOU HAVE TO STOP THINKING ABOUT HIM IS:**

1. He doesn't even likes you that way, you tart!!

...

Notes:

I'm having a MCBC withdraw syndrome!!!!!

The boards are down.

Anyway! Thanks for reading.

I gotta run since technically I was doing my homework! I got to go and finish that!

I promise to answer the reviews next time (I did read them!), now I have a Lab Practice to write all down.

**SCHOOL SUCKS; COLLEGE SUCKS**

I need chocolate....

.... And more caffeine with my coffee.

Please, read and Review, Go ahead, make my day! Reviews are the only thing that keeps me going through the hell of Hidrobiologic Methods I (which means I have to take the II).

Love,

Alex.


	8. Let the Games Begin

**LOVE & MAGIC**

**Chapter Eight: Let the Games Begin**

Marco went home a week after the masquerade ball.

It wasn't a big tearful good bye. The goodbye between Carla and Marco, now that one had been tearful... on Carla's part at least. She was really smitten with Marco, and I could tell Marco felt pretty much the same way. I knew I would see him again soon enough.

As I walked Marco to his horse I whispered, low and fast: "I want to be Maid of Honor, pink will play no role in your wedding, and you will not make Sergio your best man, I'm taller than him. Understood?"

Marco didn't even yell. He just nodded and smiled.

Ah, my little brother Marco discovered women... they grow up so fast.

As for Chris and me, well, things were weird.

I wasn't true to my word of not seeing him again. Of not seeing him again as Cass, I mean. I saw him everyday as Kyle. I thought he would forget about Cass but he didn't. A couple of days after Marco's departure, Chris told me all about his night with Cass... he apparently liked her very much, and he said he would want to see her again. He also asked me to not say anything about her to Wes and Landon, _"They'll make fun of me," _Chris said, _"You know I still can't hear the end of it with them about Kaze Lhite."_

What could I do?

I saw him again. Cass saw him again, I mean.

At first it was all casual, like we would bump into each other in the market of Cloud City or near the river in the woods. Chris was always very respectful and no more than friendly. It was nice and I felt I could really talk to him even in a way Kyle couldn't, in a way Kaze never would.

"What do you think people are most afraid of?" Chris asked one time we were walking in the market.

"Consequences," I said. "We are all afraid of facing the consequences of our actions, that's why we always hold back and never go and do what we really want, we are afraid that things won't be like we imagined them to be. And in consequence you have to live with what you did for the rest of your life. That's why we hide too. Why we are more like ourselves when we pretend to be someone else... because that way we don't face consequences."

"How old are you?" He asked sounding amused.

"Nineteen, in three months." I answered wondering how fast time went by; I had been living at Windam Valley for four months, pretending to be Cass for more than a month already, only three months left till September.

"Well, for an eighteen year old you're terribly... fatalist" Chris said with a laugh. "Besides, I, for one, don't care about consequences. If I really want something I'll go for it; I know I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try." He really meant the last part. It was something I had discovered about him, he could be laughing and be serious at the same time.

"But sometimes you try and all you manage to do is get yourself hurt," I said thinking of Adam, I had loved him, I took a chance on him and he only hurt me.

"It's true." I hadn't expected him to agree. "Especially when you talk about love but," he sighed, for once there was nothing playful about him, "Sometimes you have to take risks to win what you treasure the most. Your heart might get broken but at least you put it out there for something to happen with it. Life is all about taking risks. And you can't be afraid. Is a terrible way to live: Being afraid, making up lies and excuses to avoid being who you're supposed to be, who you really are."

We walked in silence for a while. His words were weighting heavily on me but I hoped it didn't show.

Chris was right, I couldn't be afraid forever. Unfortunately I had done was most humans do, on a moment of desperation and sadness I swore out of love but unlike most humans I couldn't take that back. If I ever fell in love again... No, I couldn't do that.

I felt fear gripping my heart. A different kind of fear to anything else I had ever felt. I couldn't love again, I couldn't dare. For _His_ sake -whoever Mr. He might be- I can't love again.

I had to choke back a cry as I heard the wind whisper in my ear: _"Too late."_

"Are you alright?" Chris asked, "You look pale." He reached and ran the back of his fingers against my cheek, "Do you feel ill?"

"A little." I said. It was another lie to cover myself, "I better get going." I added.

"What me to walk you home?" he asked but I pretended not to hear and got myself lost in the market.

I was more afraid than what I was willing to admit. When I got to my room that day I called Jadzia, she came as she did when I called, it wasn't really her, it was a bubble of magic that showed me her form. I saw her standing in the middle of her forest

"You called?" She said kindly, Jadzia could read emotions very well, she knew there was something wrong with me but wouldn't push it.

"Yes, I- I was wondering something, about magic," I said and Jadzia looked exited, she loved to talk about magic. "Remember what you told me about oaths?"

"Yes," she said calmly.

"Well, here is the thing... what if someone with magic makes an oath, never to fall in love for example... and then falls in love. What happens?"

"The person you speak of will know a pain greater than what she or he could ever imagine," she said seriously. One thing you didn't toy with was oaths.

"What about the object of this person affection? What would happen to him or her?"

"It depends," she said, "I thought I already had told you this. Anyway, if the second person loves the first – being the first the one that made the oath – then magic will turn against him or her. If the second person doesn't feel love for the first person then he or she is... safe, I guess you could call it that."

"Oh," I said, "I just wasn't very clear about that,"

Jadzia eyed me suspiciously, "What have you done?"

"I haven't done anything,"

I didn't think she had believed me, not entirely. But Jadzia chose not to ask more and the bubble of magic popped, living little fairy dust behind.

I sighed with relief. Even if the wind was right – and it wasn't – and I was in love with Chris, he was safe. Don't get my wrong, I wasn't worried about him because I was in love, no, it was because I had come to care about him as a friend. And that was it.

Only that it wasn't.

And I found out soon enough. Actually, it only took two weeks.

I meet with Chris in the river.

He didn't believe me when I said I loved fishing so he dared me to go fishing with him and I did. I was winning at the "who catches more fishes" contest but I didn't particularly cared. It was hard to care about a competition when you were in the middle of a river – water up to your thighs. We started to talk about old stories we had heard as children. Chris was giving me a load of Wind Warriors lore.

"It was a very sweet love story, actually. Rafer and Merle where very happy. The funny part was that King Roger always wanted Rafer to marry Merle but both of them refused stubbornly till the son of King Bolek asked to marry Merle. First she refused, but then Bolek said he wouldn't invade Windam Valley if Merle married his son, to avoid a full on war the court decided that Merle had to marry. It was Rafer's mission to take her to Terra, but on their way there he decided he wasn't going to let it happen and that's when the power of the Wind Warriors awoke. The four of them –Rafer, Merle, and two other men by the name of Michael and William – stormed Terra with the aid of the phantom army that only answers to the call of the wind, and then Terra was split in Circe, Mhalta and Lhite."

"I never really understood what the Wind Warriors power was about,"

"It's a total control over the wind. My line carries the power to control the Hot Wind that comes from Fireland; Wes's family controls the wind mixed with water that comes from Seaside, Landon can create twisters over the land at will... and there most be someone able to control the Frosty Wind from the high mountains of what once was Terra. Supposedly my family carries that power too, if I had a younger brother or sister, he or she would be the master of the cold wind."

"It must be nice to have that kind of magic,"

"Is kind of neat, I will admit. And it does serve to preserve the peace."

We talked a bit more about magic. Chris wasn't really that interested in his powers, he knew to control them but just that; whereas I had worked very had since I was a girl to make my magic stronger.

It was a nice sunny afternoon. After Chris finally admitted that I was better at fishing that him we got out of the river.

Then it was quiet, both of us lying on the grass letting the sun dry us. I was starting to wonder what would I do with the fishes I caught... it would be kind of difficult to sneak them to my room in the palace. I was musing about this when Chris voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Cass," It always took me a while to remember that's what he thought was my name.

"Yes?" I said closing my eyes against the sun.

"Remember that I once told you I didn't care about consequences?"

"Vaguely," I said, I was starting to feel drowsy.

"Remember that I told you that when I wanted something I went for it?"

"Yeah," I was seriously about to doze off.

"Then I hope this doesn't come as much of a surprise,"

Thought my sleepy mind I was about to ask _'What?'_ But I never got the chance.

And a second later I didn't even felt drowsy anymore. I felt wide awake.

Chris kissed me.

He was gentle, I hadn't expected that.

He made forget everything around me, anything that wasn't him suddenly was unimportant. And as a sweet rush went through me I could fell my heart starting to beat again – painfully but happily so – and the blood that I suspected had frozen on my veins in the wake of the post-Adam Era was flowing again, making me feel warm inside in a way I had never known.

It wasn't rushed, we weren't hiding.

That was different too.

Most of Adam's kisses were rushed; all of them were while hiding.

Adam had always been ashamed of me because I wasn't all the things Emily was. Only now that I was being kissed by someone that couldn't care less – or at least that made me feel as if he couldn't care less – if someone saw us, I realized of that.

Was it really my fault that I kissed back?

My brain was screaming that this was Madness. My heart tried to convince my brain that I had just died and gone to Heaven.

End of Chapter Eight.

Notes:

You'll get what Chris was thinking in the next chapter.

EreshkigalGirl: Usually it takes me forever to update, lately hasn't been the case :D

znadias24: I have only read Ella Enchanted, I don't know the other book... is it good? I got the mail, it sucked, but the board are back up.

Trinity: Thanks for your coments. Could you give me an expample of what you mean? Usually I make things go in full circle but sometimes I fail to mention certain details that make things make sense to me but not to other people... is weird. I try to be very careful about what I write, the hardest part is doing the cuts. You shouldn't abandon your story, writin is like any skill, needs practice.

angel-kiss7: Nop, Kaze isn't perfect. I like that because I like flaws, it makes things intereting. Perfection will bore you out easily and quickly. Her looks are very average and I like that.

jammi: Hello Quote Genie!!!! Ain't you glad that the MCBC is back up!!! I was doing a happy dance the other day.

sealednectar: I get what you mean, it irritates me too when the protagonist has it all because that's not real and it will rarely be. And even when everything looks perfect and squeaky clean... there is something wrong going on... Sorry I was babbling, but perhaps you'll understand better when I introduce Emily - who seems to be perfect.

UnangelicHalo: Thanks for the seamed/seemed, that one always slips. :D.

LindyLou78: :) Chris wasn't waiting, he went after her. Hope you do ok in Chemistry.

Much love,

Crazy, lovable me. ;)


	9. The Hardest Thing

**LOVE & MAGIC**

**Chapter Nine: The Hardest Thing**

* * *

**Kaze**

I knew I couldn't lie forever.

I had liked so much being Cass, being me again but I knew I had to end it. Chris kissing me was just the last thing that took to convince myself that my days in the Windam Palace in Cloud City were ending.

Chris might not love me but I couldn't bear to put him in danger. Not him. He meant so much to me.

Is funny how Chris came to mean something too me, a few months ago I still talked about him as the 'Horse Stealer'.

I touched my lips with my fingertips, they still felt all... I don't know, like a good, sweet kind of ticklish. Chris kissed me once and then found lots of reasons to keep kissing me and I let him, knowing that I might never get to kiss him again.

He asked me to meet him again the next day, in the maze just where I had met him. I didn't say that I would go, I didn't refuse either. I was going to end it. I had to.

"Kyle?" Someone asked me; I had been hiding in the little library on the second floor all afternoon.

"Oh, hi Carson." I said trying to sound like Kyle though I knew I didn't had to worry; Jadzia's magic had me covered. "How is it going?"

"All good," he said brightly, "I'm just going to turn in, but I ran into Cap Lamont and he asked me to give you this, it arrived this morning," I handed me over a letter I recognized the script right away.

"Thanks,"

"Well, have a good one," he said, it was his way to bid people good night.

"Yeah, you too."

I was about to open my letter when Chris walked in. I knew it was him though I had my back to him.

"Oh, hi! Kyle! How is it going?"

"Good?"

"Good," he said, he sounded happy, I didn't dare to turn around and face him... not now that I had had his tongue inside of my mouth.

"You sound happy," I said, looking out the big window in front of me, you could see the gardens and the maze from here, I had never noticed that.

"I saw Cass today," he answered happily. "I can't offer details but yes I'm very happy."

"Good for you," I said, I let my hands fumble with the envelope Carson gave me, just to keep them from shaking.

"I'm going to ask her to marry me," he declared suddenly going through the drawers in the desk at my right. Chris liked to work in this library instead of the big one in the ground level next to the Great Ballroom. "Tomorrow, actually."

That made me jump.

"Chris, you have seen her like, what? Three times? Don't you think is a bit rushed?"

"You don't know her, Kyle. Cass is perfect, for me anyway. She is always laughing at me."

"You like being laughed at?" What a surprise.

"I like to be treated like a person, not like a king. Cass couldn't careless who I am, she treats me like an equal. That's... I can explain. Is kind of why I like hanging with you, save my closest friends you're the only one who tells me to go fuck myself, I like that. I'll even confess that's what I always liked about Kaze Lhite; she didn't have any regard for my title. You can't really earn loyalty or friendship- not even respect- from someone who puts him or herself in a position below you just because you happen to have a royal title, the most you can get that way is fear and I don't like being feared. I like when people treat me like an equal, I feel less alone."

"I understand that," I really did. "But still, you want to talk marriage with this Cass person?"

"Oh, Kyle, my little grasshopper, when a man is in love he either knows it or he is not." Chris said.

"Don't say that." I whispered.

"Did you say something?" he asked still going through the drawers.

"Nothing, just reading this letter I got from home," I said brightly thought I felt as if I had gulp down a snowball.

I opened my letter, trying to appear busy. I didn't need to just appear a second letter when I actually read it.

"I have to go," I said quickly.

"Oh, wait I want to show you the ring I chose to-"

"I can't stay, I need to go."

I said turning around and leaving.

"Oh, well, I'll tell you how it turns out later," Chris said.

I didn't tell him he wouldn't see Kyle – or Cass, for that matter – later.

I ran, I managed to avoid looking at him or things would have been more difficult than what they already were.

I walked out and took Ajax. The sun had gone down just moments before, if I rode hard I might get to the Lithe Country in three hours, I'll made it to Steven's house by dawn.

* * *

**Chris**

It was late when I parted ways with Cass asking her to meet me at the maze in the interior garden of the Palace the next day. I was so happy. I had made up my mind about her.

It's true that I know women that are more beautiful, at least physically. But I can't choose the woman I'm going to spend the rest of my life just because I like the way she looks. I have liked the way a lot of women look but is different with Cass though she is not strikingly beautiful she is pretty in her own way... and God, does she has a mouth on her! She always tells me what she thinks straight out.

I never imagined I would come to this when I first followed her to the maze. That night what had caught my attention was that I couldn't stop watching her even when she looked rather plain in comparison to the court beauties. The tone of her voice as she sang was one that reached out to me and made me feel as if I had known her all my life. And when I first talked to Cass, that night under the stars, she reminded me of Kaze Lhite and that intrigued me in the same way that Miss Lhite had intrigued me years ago.

But the more I thought of Cass the more all thoughts of Lady Lhite fell out of my mind and I found myself falling in love. I suspected it that day in the market when we had been talking about consequences and I had touched her pale cheek. But this morning in the river I knew that the battle was already lost. I was in love with Cass.

I finally found the ring I had been looking for and sat down on my chair. Then I saw that there was a slip of paper in the floor, I picked it up and read. I understood why Kyle had run out.

"_My Dearest K._

_Is with a perturbed heart that I write to you. I know you have a lot of problems on your own – Melnick and Adam at the top of the list – but you are my dearest, oldest friend and at dark times like this I really need your advice._

_Monica fell ill a week ago. Red Death. The doctor doesn't know if she'll survive, our child didn't. The fevers killed it. You know me better than anyone; you know what that child meant to me. I feel tired and alone and I could really use my best friend._

_I know is much to ask. Marco says the coast isn't clear but... could you please come home?_

_Steven."_

The Red Death was probably the worst way of dying, you got attacked by high fevers sometimes by days or even weeks, sometimes it just took a few hours, the fevers made you bleed from the nose and the eyes and practically any other place you could bleed. Very few people survived the Red Death.

I didn't recall Kyle mentioning the name 'Steven' ever, but I did remember he had told me his best friend had married the previous summer and was living with his wife in a little town in the provinces of Lhite. I silently wished him the best but I was too happy and nervous about asking Cass to marry me that very selfishly so I forgot about Kyle and his friend, instead I went to bed and tried to sleep.

I did keep the letter; I would return later and apologize for reading.

* * *

**Next day at the Windam Palace**

"What do you mean she is gone?" Marco asked.

"Just that, she didn't showed up for breakfast so I went to her room and she wasn't there. I asked and Carson told me she had gotten a letter yesterday and next thing I hear is that she took Ajax and took off," Carla said in a hushed voice.

"The only other person that writes to Kaze here is Steven..." Marco said, thinking out loud. He had been bored so he thought on going to visit Carla and Kaze for the weekend.

"Does Melnick is still looking for her?"

"Yes... and he has just been getting angrier that he hasn't found her. The other day Melnick and father were me asking if I knew were she was. They don't believe much that I know nothing, it might be wise if I stop coming here so often."

"But I'll miss you," Carla said with a little pout.

Marco kissed her quickly. "I'll miss you too... but-"

"I know, we better keep Kaze safe," Carla knew Marco enough to know that his sisters were the most important thing in the word for him.

Just then Chris walked by, "Oh, hi!" He said brightly. Saying he and Marco were friends was going a bit too far, but Chris would welcome any guy willing to take Carla away, she was a nutcase in his book.

"Good morning, Christopher," Marco said, they were on a first name basis now that Marco was a frequent visitor.

"Morning," Chris repeated.

"Hey, don't you happen to know where is Kyle? Marco had a consult to make about horses,"

"I think he went back to his home. I saw him last night, he had gotten a letter from home and then said he had to go, his friend's wife is very sick or something," he didn't remember much, he was nervous about the question he would ask later.

"Monica?"

"Yes, I think that was her name. Anyway, Kyle went, it seemed pretty urgent."

Chris said good-bye and just, when he was out of earshot, Marco swore.

"Sorry," he said apologetically to Carla. "I better go looking for her, Steven house is a day away from here... I might just catch her."

"Okay,"

"Sorry to cut this visit short. I'll be back soon," Marco said taking Carla's hands in his. "I'm really sorry," he repeated kissing her forehead.

As Marco got back in his horse and rode away he realized that for the first time in a couple of years he wasn't thinking about Jadzia. It had been really awkward after he found out _she_ was an unicorn, when he had met her she hadn't look like a unicorn... Jadzia had looked like a beautiful young woman about his ages with the whitest skin and silver-white hair and just about the clearest blue eyes.

Though Jadzia denied it, they had been in love. But then Marco found out who she was and Jadzia made her choice about him: he was dropped like a hot potato. At first he had been plenty angry, now he didn't care.

* * *

**Kaze**

I rode all night.

Steven had been my best friend since I had been a girl. He used to do random jobs at the barns, working for some of the horse trainers; that's where I had met him. Steven's parents had died when he was about five and he had supported himself since then. When he was nine one of the horse trainers realized he had been sleeping in the barns and found out he didn't had a family. That man had took him in and treated him like a son.

That was the only family Steven had ever known, family was the most important thing for him. He had married full of illusions... I knew him and I knew how much losing his child would hurt him.

When I made it to the modest house, Steven wasn't there... Monica was, she told me her fevers had broken the previous day. Her face was splotchy, her eyes puffy... she had been crying.

"Oh, Kaz," Monica said and buried her face in my hair... "I loved that baby so much!"

"I know you did, honey, I know," I said trying to be as soothing as I could. "You'll have more kids, you'll see. Now you just concentrate in getting better, do it for Steve. He loves you so much."

"I don't know," she said twisting her hands over her lap, "Maybe he won't love me anymore now..."

"Don't say that," I reproached lightly. "I'm going to make you some tea, ok?" I know it was lame, but is what my grandmother used to do when confronting someone hysterical.

I busied myself in the kitchen, Monica was one hello of a housewife, I could find everything in her perfectly organized kitchen.

When I got back to the bedroom, Steven was there, holding Monica's hand and saying that they both would be fine. Monica smiled softly and I saw Steve's face lit up as if the sun had just risen after days of storms. Then he turned to me, "Have you ever seen a girl more pretty?" he asked.

I looked at Monica, all red in the face and with her hair made a mess and I shook my head no. Steve smiled and turned to his wife, and then he pulled Monica into a tight embrace. They would be fine.

They would grieve and be sad for a while. But they would glue everything back together, I was sure they would get the family they longed for. They were down but not out.

I smiled sadly. There in my best friend's house I realized how stupid I had been taking that oath of never falling in love again. I longed for the kind of love that Monica and Steve had for each other.

And my mind drifted back to Chris, who – if he had been telling the truth – had all the intent to ask a phantom to marry him just as I stood there, so far away from him.

* * *

**Chris**

I waited for hours in the maze.

Cass never came.

* * *

End of Chapter Nine

Notes:

You got no Idea how difficult was to write this chapter!

I'm going nuts here.

I hope this didn't sucked.

You'll get more later.

Since I can't answer the reviews right now – due certain someone that I like to call my sister Boo and who is kicking me out of the chair – I'll leave you wit a long teaser of the next chapter:

_I had heard the whole story but it didn't make me feel a whole lot better. Kyle...no, Cass... no Kaze had lied to me. She had been lying all this time. I was plenty angry and I knew good and well that I had all the right in the world to my anger. At the same time though, the memory of Kaze crying just seconds ago was too much to bear. I might be right, but right was lonely. I could get my temper and my anger get the best of me and walk out pretending not to care one single bit about her._

_I could go back to my old ways – sneaking in an out of beautiful women's bedrooms just to return to my own bedroom... alone with no more company that the memory of the only girl I had ever brought to my bed, the only one I had ever wanted to wake up next to: Kaze Lhite – and get bitter and cold and old and gray. _

_Or I could let go of my anger and understand that Kaze had just been very scared and afraid. I could find the truth in my own heart and know that she hadn't been lying when she had been resting in my arms saying she loved me. That her name was meaningless compared to what she made me feel. That I loved her and wanted nothing more than make her happy._

_And by making her happy I would be happy._


	10. All Bets Are Off

**Love Magic**

**Chapter Ten: All bets are off**

**Kaze**

I stayed at Steven's for about a week. Marco came and yelled at me quite a bit for risking myself but then he chilled and asked what my plans were. I wasn't sure. I couldn't stay at Lhite... it would be just matter of time before Melnick found me. I assured myself that my friends would be alright and left their home. Marco had told me that Chris didn't seem to mind my sudden disappearance from his guard so I figured I would be back, if only for a short time, to gather my bearings and find out what I would do.

I had endangered Christopher already, by loving him like I did.

I rode to Cloud City, I wanted to see it again but I also dreaded the second it appeared on sight. When I made it to the palace, Carla was the first person I ran into. She looked funny...

"Is Chris," She said, "He has been acting real weird since you left. He seems... I don't know, preoccupied."

Preoccupied?

Preoccupied didn't tell me much. I half hoped that he would be angry at me. Things would be so easy then, he would forget about Cass and that would be the end of it. I told Carla that Chris was going to ask Cass to marry him the day I left. I told her that my plan was to leave it as it was, for Chris to figure out that Cass wasn't right for him.

Carla shook her head sadly, "No. You can't leave it like this," she said, "He is really worried about Cass- I mean, you. If you are going to over it, do it right. Chris will deal if you tell him you don't want him – he is not the kind of man who would impose himself to a woman – but wonder will kill him. Chris will wonder whathe did wrong that made you leave like that... and that wonder won't let him be happy with anyone else."

I had never heard Carla speak that way about Chris – as if she really cared for her cousin. I let her convince me to go and 'End things right' between Chris and I. As usual I borrowed Carla's clothes, this time I we chose this simple skirt and white shirt that I thought made me look like a governess with very little sense of style, I let my hair down – usually it would have just curled down at the ends, but the summer in the Windam Palace was a humid one and my hair was all a frizzy mess.

It was beyond unappealing...

I walked to the maze where I had first meet him – Carla had told me he spent hours there – and found him seating by the fountain like that night under the stars. Chris was alone, the sun was seating and the world seemed to quiet down a bit.

Chris heard me approach and looked up. Then, with three quick strides, he was right in front of me. Chris let out a heavy breath and he reached out, pulling me to him, relief written in his features. "I was so worried about you," he confessed. "I thought that something bad might have happened to you."

"Worried?" I asked in a whisper.

Chris drew back a little, his hands going up my arms to my throat. He kissed me and then straightened up again, leaving his hands at my throat, his thumbs caressing my jaw line. "Yes, worried. I thought that you might have had an accident or fell ill or something..."

It was the real worry in those dark eyes of his, what that made me answer somewhat truthfully, "No. I'm fine. It was just a family emergency. I came to apologise for not coming as I said I would" though I hadn't actually said it. "I thought I might find you here,"

"I've been coming every day. In case you came," Chris admitted smiling down at me – he's about three or four inches taller than me – and I smiled back, my words lost.

Before the silence settled between us it started to purl down hard. Chris reached for my hand and started to run out of the rain, pulling me along with him.

* * *

**-**

**Chris**

I ran with Cass' hand in mine, our fingers intertwined, out of the rain and into the Palace. Without thinking I took her to my room, all the way up to the fifth floor. Luckily we didn't run into anyone... I knew my friends were at the armoury hall and most of the servants got very busy with the rain – running around closing windows and stuff.

I closed the door behind Cass. My room was warm, though it was summer, a merry fire cracked in my fireplace – the Windam Palace was a rather cold place. I glanced at Cass, standing near the fire, and I realized she didn't look out of place there in my room. As a general rule, I never brought women to my room because I always considered my room as my sanctuary, my safe place. Whenever I felt like having sex I would just go to the woman's in turn bedroom and then bolt out as soon as I could.

But having Cass in my room seemed okay somehow. I looked at her, all wet and shivering, so I went to my bathroom and grabbed some towels. I walked back to her side and wrapped a big fluffy towel around her shoulders, she smiled, said "Thank you." For all answer I took another towel and started to dry her long coffee-coloured hair. Cass deep blue eyes lit with amusement and, for a second, it occurred to me that I had seen eyes like those before but I couldn't remember where. So I kept my drying duty, being careful not to yank her hair so much; I had been around enough women in my life as to know that they don't like it when you pull at their hair. I wondered since when did I care about such things.

I stopped wondering a moment later when I ran the towel to Cass ears and she giggled. "Ticklish." She said still giggling as I did it again.

I had never felt like I was feeling right then.

I leaned down to kiss that innocent smile of hers.

The kiss started innocent enough but it soon became more intimate; I let go of the towel all together and pulled Cass close, so close that I could feel her breasts against my chest, and I let one of my hands tangle with the hair at the base of her neck while my other hand was at her waist.

And I knew it right then and there. I wanted it. Her, I wanted her.

All of her...

...Forever.

* * *

**-**

**Kaze**

I don't know what I expected when I let Chris pull me into his room but, sure as hell, I expected to keep all my clothes on. One moment he was kissing me and then, next thing I knew, we were both naked and in his bed. Is not like he forced me or sweet-talked me out of my clothes or anything like that. He was very gentle and went slowly, kissing every part of me and caressing me and he even said that it was okay if I was afraid... which made me be not afraid.

He didn't hurt me - but what I had heard from Emily's friends it was supposed to hurt a hell of a lot but it didn't; when I had heard Emily's friends I had actually, really concidered becoming a nun... they made it sound THAT bad.

When I woke up it wasn't dawn yet. The bed was all comfy and I had Chris' warm, healthy, masculine weight against me – we were cuddled up together: my back to his front- one of his arms was under my head serving as a pillow and the other was oh so casually tossed around my waist.

Chris had done it. Like back at the river not long ago when he had first kissed me: Chris made me forget everything else that wasn't him. As I lay there, I managed to forget how messed up I was with the whole Oath thing and the whole Kyle/Cass/Kaze situation and Melnick and everything. For a moment it all went away, easily overshadowed by how good it feel to lay there in Chris' arms.

But soon enough the panicky feeling got a hold of my heart, besides wondering why the stupid oath hadn't start to act against me – I wasn't sure what it would do but I was sure it would be very bad – I came to realize that Chris wouldn't forgive my lies. I started to think what would happen when he woke up and if I let it slip and tell him the truth and he hated me for lying to him. I didn't have the guts to wait so I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to steady myself, and I concentrated for a second in remembering everything: from the feeling of safety I had in his arms to the scent of his skin and the way he looked when he was asleep.

Then I bolted.

Quickly, carefully and quietly I slid out of his embrace and got out of the bed. I looked at Carla's clothes laid out in the floor and I went for Chris clothes... some people might be awake already and I didn't want to run into anyone in the hallway dressed as a girl. Once I was dressed I dug the skirt's pocket for Jadzia's pendant and I went out of the door, closing it as quietly as I could.

* * *

-

**Chris**

I started to stir at the sudden cold that surrounded me. I reached out for Cass to pull her closer, she wasn't there and I started to feel around for her and all I got for my efforts was a fistful of my sheets. I was waking up very quickly and what snapped me out of my slumber was the sound of my door closing.

I looked around, Cass was gone. So were my clothes, hers were still where I had tossed them the night before. I pulled on my underpants and covered myself with my night robe. In the hallway I was distracted by crying sounds, a woman's cry. I walked and I discovered to source, the sounds were coming from Kyle's bedroom.

My name being mentioned caught my attention and I peeked thought the half opened door, one voice I recognized immediately, it belonged to Jadzia the Unicorn from the great forest.

"I have the gift of foresight, I knew what Adam would do to you... and I knew what you would try to do by swearing out of love. That's why I never told you all that you needed to make an oath valid."

"What do you mean?" A second voice sobbed... I sounded so familiar.

"To make an oath valid you have to swear in front of someone whose magic power is bigger than yours, so this person binds your magic to hold it to your oaths. You never did such thing, that's why your magic hasn't turned against you or Christopher."

This sounded like an interesting conversation.

"So, he is safe?"

"Yes, of course."

"Good." The second voice said and just then I caught a glimpse of the owner.

"_Kyle?" _I whispered, but I blinked and my vision cleared, it was Cass. What the hell was going on? Saying I was confused what the understatement of the century.

"I need to go then," Cass said. "I can't stay."

"What? I've just told you that you can go on and be happy with the man you love and you say you have to go?"

"Jadzia, Chris would never forgive me for my lies." Cass said sounding solemn. What lies was she talking about? Had she faked it last night? No. At least I didn't think so.

"I thought you said that he told you... I mean, _'Kyle'_ that he wanted to marry you."

What the hell?

"He doesn't want to marry me." Said Cass and I was about to break in and say that yes, I wanted to marry her but I was sure that if I stepped inside I would fall even deeper into the bizarre world. "He wants to marry Cass. She doesn't exist. All that is left of her is me, Kaze Lhite, and no one has ever wanted Kaze Lhite for herself. You know it Jadz."

Ok, ok, ok. Go back and stop!

Did she say Kaze Lhite? Kaze Lhite, the spoiled brat extraordinaire?

What the fuck is going on?

I was distracted from my confusion by the sight of Cass... Kaze... whatever her name is, crying. Just four hours ago she had been smiling in my arms and now she was crying in such a way that made my heart collide with my ribs and ache.

I wanted a few explanations. But somehow I didn't think I would be able to concentrate if she kept crying so I conjured a little spell and called into her mind a simple word: _"Sleep."_

Almost instantly she was unconscious, I can come up with a few good tricks when I set my mind to it. I caught her before she fell to the ground.

"Christopher, finally you decide to use some of your magic," Jadzia's cool, polished voice greeted me as I put Cass in Kyle's bed.

"You can save the sarcasm," I said without humour. "I would like some explanations if you fee like wasting a bit of spit."

"Explanations about what?"

"Her." Jadzia knew what I meant and launched into a long detailed explanation about Kaze Lhite/ Cass/ Kyle Lostry.

Slowly a lot of things started to make sense. I knew where I had seen eyes like Cass's before: in both Kyle and Kaze; I understood why Cass had seemed familiar and why- that morning that I went to apologise to Kyle for throwing him into the river – I saw a girl in his bed and then it was him again. I listened to Jadzia as she explained who was Adam Circe and how bad had he hurt Kaze, and how scared she had been with the perspective of having to marry Lord Melnick.

I had heard the whole story but it didn't make me feel a whole lot better. Kyle...no, Cass... no Kaze had lied to me. She had been lying all this time. I was plenty angry and I knew good and well that I had all the right in the world to my anger. At the same time though, the memory of Kaze crying just seconds ago was too much to bear. I might be right, but right was lonely. I could let my temper and my anger get the best of me and walk out pretending not to care one single bit about her.

I could go back to my old ways – sneaking in an out of beautiful women's bedrooms just to return to my own bedroom... alone with no more company that the memory of the only girl I had ever brought to my bed, the only one I had ever wanted to wake up next to: Kaze Lhite – and get bitter and cold and old and gray. Or I could let go of my anger and understand that Kaze had just been very scared and afraid. I could find the truth in my own heart and know that she hadn't been lying when she had been resting in my arms saying she loved me. That her name was meaningless compared to what she made me feel. That I loved her and wanted nothing more than make her happy. 

And, by making her happy I would be happy

"What are you going to do now that you know the truth, Christopher?" Jadzia asked.

I thought of Kaze – that was her name – in all the times she had made me laugh, in the trusting look in her eyes as I lowered her to my bed and covered her body with mine, in how she made me feel when I kissed her and in the way she had said she loved me.

And I knew what I was going to do.

I told her that I loved her and I had meant it, I still did.

Red would always be red even if I tried to call it Blue.

I told Jadzia what I planed to do and, I must say, her reaction was a lot better than Landon's and Wes' when I told them over lunch.

"You're going to what?" both of them hollered.

"I'm getting married." I replied easily stuffing some food into my mouth. "In two weeks," I added pass the half chewed meat in my mouth.

"You're going to what?" _Kyle_ asked.

-

End of Chapter Ten

-

Notes:

Bunch of homework to do. I'll promise to answer the reviews next time!

TTYL

HAVE A HAPPY JESSE DAY! (Sexy Rancher)

Please read a review.

Love y'all.

Clavel.


	11. Long Title Inside

**LOVE MAGIC**

**Chapter Eleven: Hold Me. Love Me. Make me Eat Chocolate.**

**Chris**

"You're going to what?" _Kyle_ asked. She looked pale and still was wearing Jadzia's pendant; she didn't know that it didn't work around me anymore.

"Oh, hi Kyle," I said cheerfully, "Didn't know you were back."

"I got here last night," she said, "Sorry I went away so abruptly,"

"Is ok, family emergency, wasn't it?"

She looked confused and just nodded.

"Is your family alright?" Landon asked.

"Oh, yes, at least I think so,"

"Good, good," Wes said, "Now, since you spend so much time with Chris, you might be able to help us out here."

"Yes, do you happen to know the mysterious woman Chris says he is going to marry in two weeks?"

I saw Kaze face go even paler but to her credit her voice didn't shake when she answered, "No."

"Why, Kyle, you don't look so good." Wes said.

"I think I'm going to be sick, probably the flu, I got caught in the rain yesterday,"

_Got caught in the rain alright_, I thought but only said: "Why don't you take the day off,"

"Yeah, I'll do that," she said and took off.

Once she was out of earshot, Landon said, "I like that kid, but he hasn't turned out to be the best of guards. He has taken more sick days than anyone else in the guard this year."

"She'll retire from the guard soon enough," I said while I kept eating my breakfast. Too much physical activity the night before had leaved me very hungry.

"She?" Both Wes and Landon asked at the same time.

"Yep." I said, "After I marry her."

"Who?"

"Kaze Lhite."

"What! I thought that we were talking about Kyle." Said Landon.

"Are you back again with the Kaze Lhite thing? I thought you were all up for that girl you have been seeing for the past few weeks, the one you won't introduce to us," Wes added.

"Kyle is Kaze and the girl I've been seeing for the last few weeks," I explained calmly. I saw the '_you're crazy'_-looks they were giving me so I elaborated by explaining, the best I could, what Jadzia had explained to me.

"Haven't you hit yourself in the head with something lately?" Wes asked, clearly concerned for my mental health.

"Ask Carla if you don't believe me, she knows too." That morning, after I left Kaze in her room, I went to talk to Carla, I needed her help to plan the wedding for me since I had my hands full with the taxes review and the summer festival coming up in two weeks. "Remember that she was all hot for Kyle and then she said 'just friends'? That was because she found out Kaze was hiding here as Kyle."

It took a while but they believed me and agreed to don't say a word to Kaze about the fact that the "mysterious" woman I was going to marry was her. The promised to keep acting as if they knew nothing.

* * *

**Kaze (two weeks later) **

All the servants in the Palace were busying themselves with the wedding that would start soon. I had been crying for the past two weeks and, as I stood in the library of the second floor, I told myself there were no more tears to cry over this. Chris would be married man in a few hours and I would have to deal. Period.

But I also wondered if I would be strong enough to stand there and watch it all, if I would be able to stand watching Chris and his wife and I felt a big urge to run. It hurt too much. And it hurt because I knew I couldn't live without Chris. When things ended between Adam and me, and I walked away from him I knew I could live without him, just as I was sure now that I couldn't live without seeing Chris, even if from afar, everyday.

"I thought I would find you here," Chris called as he walked towards me. I turned to look at him, all handsome with his formalwear then I turned back to stare out of the window.

"Aren't you supposed to be getting married in two hours?" I asked, trying to sound cool and detached and failing miserably.

"Yes. That's why I came here, I need to fetch my bride," Chris said sounding all happy.

"I haven't seen anyone here." I answered turning to leave only to find myself trapped between the desk at my back and Chris in front of me, his arms at each side of me.

When he spoke his face was close to mine, "Really?" he said raising his eyebrow with the scar on it, "because I'm pretty sure I have her in front of me."

I didn't get to ask "What?" because just as I was opening my mouth to speak, Chris kissed me and I melted. I took me a little while but I came to my senses, I placed my hands in Chris's chest and pushed him away. "What are you doing?" I asked, my voice too weak, even to my own ears.

* * *

**Chris**

"I told you, Kaze, I came for my bride."

"What did you call me?" Kaze asked, the color rushing out of her cheeks.

"Kaze. That's your name, isn't it?" She was giving me the most incredulous look, "What? Did you expect me to call you Kyle or Cass forever? You should know better." I said fake disapproving.

"Know better? Better what?"

"That there is no magic that can fool love, not even unicorn's magic." I said cheerfully and showed her the pendant I had took from her while we were kissing.

"How long have you known?"

"About two weeks. That's when I decided I was going to marry you."

"Me? I think you mean-"

"I know what I mean. And is you the one I want to marry: Kaze Lhite. The same person who calls me 'horse stealer' and tells me to go to hell and holds swords to my throat and makes me laugh and throws rocks at me and," I lowered my voice next to her ear, "makes that cute little throaty sound when I-"

"I get your point," she interrupted me blushing a deep shade of red; she knew what sound I was talking about. She stared at her boots as she shook her head and said, "You don't have to marry me because of what... what happened between us."

"Hey," I said while cupping her chin with my hand and made her look at me, slow tears were running down her cheeks and I kissed them away, "What happened between us was the best thing that has ever happened to me. When I hold you in my arms everything makes a bit more sense; when I kiss you," I did so for good faith, "I feel alive;" I kissed my way to her ear, "and when we were making love," I whispered, like a secret between the two of us, "I felt like for once in my life I was complete and happy without questions. So I would say that yes, I do have to marry you because I love you and I couldn't live without you."

"You love _me?" _Kaze asked softly.

"Yes, I love you Kaze Lhite."

Then I put the best of my skills at work and I kissed her long, hard and deliberated. A kiss meant to distract her as I reached for left hand and slid the four carats blue diamond solitaire – not quite as sparkling as her eyes but for something I had to settle – on her ring finger.

"You could have asked." She said looking down at her hand once we came up for air.

"And risk that you say no? I don't think so." I said taking her hand and laying a kiss in her knuckles.

"I won't say no," Kaze said smiling up at me. After two weeks I finally got to see that smile, and I found out she could pretty much get me to do anything when she smiled.

"Marry me?" I asked just to please her.

"Yep."

This time she kissed me, an all too pleasant surprise.

We were getting all comfortable, I even had sat her up in the desk, but then we got interrupted.

* * *

**Kaze**

The sound of someone clearing its throat made me jump. I only didn't fall from the desk because of Chris's solid grip on my waist.

"I take she said yes," Carla inquired.

"I took some convincing," Chris said proudly holding me against him, "But I got her to say yes."

"Well then, I have a wedding happening in 90 minutes and I plan to run it on schedule!"

90 minutes. That ought to be the shortest engagement in history.

"And I need the bride for that to happen so Chris, please, let me steal Kaze away from you for a few moments."

Chris tightened his grip on me for a second before kissing my forehead and allowing Carla to pull me away from him.

The next hour and a half went off in a blur.

I vaguely remembered Carla explaining why the brides in Windam Valley didn't wore a veil – so the bride enters marriage being her true self – and why the crown of flowers I was to wear and my bouquet had flowers of three colors – pink for a love that would last beyond passion and lust, yellow for good luck and white for fidelity – thought quite frankly the colors were so pale that they looked all white to me.

I was standing there thinking that I was starting to closely resemble a snowflake though admitting that Carla had done a good job and I looked better than okay for being me, you know and all when Lady Stephanie came into _Kyle's_ room.

"Aw, I can't believe my boy is getting married." She said, sounding like a grandmother for once instead of the widower queen mother –well, grandmother. "You look adorable, my dear, adorable," she said giving me a hug that left me breathless for a second or two.

"Thank you, milady." I answered when I could breathe again.

"Oh, forget about that. You're can call me grandma; you'll be my grandchild once you marry Christopher." She hugged me again and then got down to business. "Here," she ordered and one of her maids came forward carrying a big jewelry box, "these are the jewels you get as Chris's wife, well some of them anyway. I thought you might want to pick something to wear today."

"That's a great idea Grandma!" Carla said, "I totally forgot about the jewels."

I picked out and necklace and the matching tear-drop earrings, something simple since I was never big into jewels. I saw Lady Stephanie get all teary-eyed and I asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing, dear, nothing. Is just that my son gave those," she pointed at my earrings, "to Chris's mother when he was born. They were her favorite."

I knew very little about Chris mother, only that she had died four years ago and that they had been close, "Do you think I should pick something else?" I asked nervous.

"Oh, no. I think he will love how they look on you." She said. "Now, go. Make my boy happy. And remember that I expect to have great-grandchildren very, very soon!" I blushed and Carla started to laugh. "That goes for you too, missy!" Lady Stephanie added and that shut Carla up.

Carla walked with me to the garden where the ceremony would take place and was then when I realized of something. And that something almost made the big bubble of happiness inside of me to snap. I would have to walk myself down the aisle to Chris. My family wouldn't be there.

"Now, how is going to walk with the bride?" the priest's aid asked.

"That would be me," An all too familiar voice called at my back, "I'm her brother."

"Very well." The man said and the ceremony began.

"Marco?" I asked as we waited for our turn. "You came."

"Of course I came; I wasn't going to let my baby sister get married alone. I couldn't bring Emily though; father is suspicious enough as it is."

"I'm so glad you came." I said. "How did you know?"

"Chris wrote to me asking permission to marry you and asking me to come today." Marco whispered as we started to walk towards my husband-to-be. And I knew my smile was big as we walked. Chris had asked my brother permission to marry me!

"Dearly beloved," The priest started...

I didn't hear much of it, just said "I do" when I was supposed to, put the wedding band on Chris's finger and kissed my husband at the end.

It was a lovely party, at least I think so. Chris and I talked, he told me how he had found out the whole truth about me and why I was hiding as Kyle and we kissed a lot. And I got to meet the crown princes of Seaside and Fireland – Andre and Jared - since they were friends with Chris.

And all the while I kept thinking it was impossible for me to be that happy. Late afternoon, Marco said he had to go back to Lhite.

"I'm going to keep father and Melnick busy with false leads on your location for a while more." Marco informed me as he said good bye.

I felt Chris slid his arms around my waist and I heard him say: "There is nothing they can do now, Kaze is my wife and I don't plan to let them hurt her,"

I let myself relax in his arms, feeling strangely protected by the possessive edge in his voice.

"I know that." Marco explained. "But I figure you two might want to enjoy your peace for a while, though there is nothing they can do about it now, I don't think that either father nor Melnick will be happy to find out," his voice let me know that Marco found that particular thought amusing, "and they can be troublesome."

Chris began to protest that he didn't care what my father or Melnick had to say but Marco interrupted. "Now, you take good care of my sister," Marco said to Chris, "and you, give me a hug so I can leave."

I untangled myself from Chris embrace and hugged Marco, "I'm going to miss you." I said going back to Chris' arms.

"I promise to be back for your birthday." He said. "I'll try to come before that but I'll definitely be here on September 17."

Almost six weeks till that. But now it was different than the other times he had come to visit and go back to Lhite. I had my husband now, I wouldn't be alone. So I said goodbye to my brother with a smile instead of tears.

* * *

**Chris **

The morning after my wedding to Kaze, I woke up late morning to fin her asleep in my arms. I amazed myself with how Kaze just seamed to belong there – to my arms, to my room... to my life. And I thought I could get used to wake up like that, with my little wife laying in my arms filling up all the empty spaces in my life.

When Kaze woke up, the first thing she did was smile and get on top of me and kiss me. I DEFINITELY was going to get used to wake up like that. "Hi." She said.

"How is my little wife doing this morning?" I inquired holding her tight against me; we were both naked as the day we were born and I loved how her skin felt against mine.

"Exhausted." She sighed dramatically, dropping her head to my chest.

It was no wonder; we had been up most of the night 'making up' for the last two weeks since we had been 'together', if you get my drift.

"Sorry about that." I grinned. "And I'm sorry we can't get away for a proper honeymoon but with the festival starting tomorrow..."

"It's ok, I understand, your people is important to you." Kaze said and I couldn't help to smile at my 18-year-old wife sounding so mature.

The King's festival was the time of the year when the best artisans, painters, magicians, story tellers and just about everything one can imagine come to Cloud City to expose their work, and it's also the time of the year when I get to do the taxes balance and laws review of the year and hear all the complains my people have.

I had chose to marry the day before because if I didn't I would have to wait a month till the festival was over.

"Now they are your people too." I said and I couldn't help but think in Pamela, who wouldn't marry me because she didn't want to face the responsibility of being queen.

The look on Kaze's face told me that she hadn't give much thought to being queen either.

"I guess you're right." Was all she said, though.

I flipped us over so I was on top and told her: "I'm going to make you happy." It was a promise, and the way she held my gaze told me she knew it and -most important- that she believed me.

"I am ha-" She started to say but I interrupted her with a kiss.

"Not yet. Not nearly enough." I said, brushing my knuckles against her cheek. "Just wait and see."

* * *

End of Chapter Eleven 

Notes:

gatorchick007: Aw, thanks!

UnangelicHalo: Kat, you're going to make me blush! Happy delayed Hammer's day!

EreshkigalGirl: Thanks!

jammi: Sorry I forgot the teaser. I think I forgot the teaser again this time, but I'm not sure if there is going to be a next chapter

angel-kiss7: Now you know what Chris did with what he found out.

bookworm-2111: Thanks!

Trinity: Did happened what you thought? Let me know.

Someone asked me if Marco was older or younger than Kaze. He is older, when Kaze says "Ah, my little brother Marco discovered women... they grow up so fast." she was being sarcastic.

Chris is twenty three years old. Kaze is eighteen going on nineteen, Marco it's twenty four, Emily twenty one, Adam just turned twenty two and Carla twenty. I don't think I ever mentioned all the ages.

I don't know if the'll be a next chapter, I wanted to go back to see the reactions of Melnick, Emily and Adam when they found out but I'm not sure if I will.

Tell me what you think, please!

R/R

:D

Lots of Love,

Alex.


	12. Surprise, Surprise

**LOVE & MAGIC**

**Chapter Twelve: Surprise, Surprise**

**At the Lhite Castle**

"Father, we have gone through this, I don't know where Kaze is." Marco repeated tiredly. "And even if I knew, why would I tell you? So you can marry her off to Melnick?"

"Lord Melnick is one of my best friends."

"I wouldn't go around saying that, father; it doesn't cast you in the most positive light."

Emily knocked softly in the door of her father's den and let herself in. "Sorry to interrupt. Marco you got another letter from the Windam Valley." She said handing over the letter.

"Thank you, Emily." Marco answered being careful not to look nervous –if the letter was from Kaze- or too excited – if the letter was from Carla.

"I didn't know you had friends in the Valley," Emily commented, she knew how much her brother hated being interrogated like that by their father and wanted to give him some time.

"I didn't, till very recently," Marco answered. "I met Carla when I went inquiring about Kaze because I don't know where she is!"

Their father yelled a profanity and walked out. Brother and sister laughed. Then Marco sat down on an armchair and began to read, the letter was from Carla.

"You really don't know where she is?" Emily asked after awhile in silence. "You don't have to tell me where, I'm just... worried. I want to know if she is okay. I've been worried for months but..."

"Why didn't you talk to me before?"

"Because I know how much you love Kaze, and I knew that her going away had you worry, I didn't want to add my worry to yours. But she is my little sister, you know, and I love her, even if we don't have anything in common I want her to be okay." Emily began to sob; Marco had never seen her like that.

All those months Marco had wondered more than once what the hell was Emily thinking as she kept on planning her wedding and acting as if nothing were wrong. Emily had been worried for him and their sister and had tried not to be a burden.

"Em, calm down." Marco said while moving to hug his sister, the big brother part was something that just came to him. "I know that Kaze is fine. Okay? I can't say much more because I don't want to get you in trouble with father, but believe me she is fine, more than fine even."

"You sure?" Emily asked, for once not caring if her dress got all wrinkled with her brother's hug.

"Yes. Now cheer up." He said giving her his handkerchief so she could blow her nose. "And listen, you and Kaze -my little sisters- are the most important thing in my life,"

"Okay, I'll cheer up." Emily said and then giggled, "Hey, should I include your girlfriend in the banquet after my wedding?"

For all answer, Marco blushed.

----------------------------------------

**Kaze**

At first, the idea of being queen terrified me, when Chris first presented me to the court –the first day of the King's festival- I was gripping his hand so tight that my knuckles were white but he held my hand all the way and his presence was so reassuring that I let go of my fear little by little and eased into my position.

From Lady Stephanie I learned of my responsibilities and what people expected of me as queen: from running the Palace to look that the Hospital had all what they needed to provide good medical care for the villagers and making sure the Orphan's House provided good education for the kids and a bunch of other charity work. Back in Lhite, mother had been more a symbol than a power and her only responsibility was to produce heirs and throw nice parties; on the other hand I was expected to be something more than a glorified house wife and I found that reassuring,

The down side was that Chris and I couldn't be together as much as we wanted, he had his responsibilities and I had mine and neither of us was one to walk away from them. But we cherished the time we spent together. And, to tell the truth, it never really bother me, I knew that if we were to be attached by the hip all day long we would hate the likes of the other in days - with luck, weeks - and I was thankful of having a life on my own besides being his wife.

I loved him. But only by being something more than his wife I could be the woman he loved. I missed him when we weren't together, or when he worked too much and couldn't be with me but I knew better than to get jealous or start hovering over him.

Besides, there was a part of me that always knew where he was. If I concentrated enough I could see him through my mind's eye. Sometimes I would think of Chris and he would show up minutes later, sometimes I found myself walking through the palace halls without a particular reason, just that my feet wanted to take me there, and I would bump into Chris and he would say he had been thinking of me.

When we had married we had bounded our lives- our magic too - and as such part of him was always with me, and part of me was always by his side.

One of the few times we got to spend time together while 'working' was when we walked the marketplace on Mondays. When the villagers had something that they thought needed to be brought to our attention, they would do so then. Complains were few and Chris was usually able to solve the problems in the spot. When I got tired I would walk to my favorite bakery, buy my favorite cookies and go sit where the story-tellers practiced their art. I could just sit there for ours listening to their lore.

At first Chris had been reluctant to let me wander around alone, but I reminded him that I could defend myself if need and that nothing bad ever happened in the market.

One November afternoon, I was enjoying myself listening to my favorite story – the one about a unicorn that fell in love, for some reason it made me think of Jadzia – wolfing down some cookies and drinking apple juice while Chris was setting some problem they were having with some weapons the King's Guard had ordered for its newest members.

When the story ended I decided to go back to find Chris, it was getting chilly and – since earlier had been warm – I wasn't wearing a sweater; and the last thing I wanted was to catch a cold. I felt someone grabbing me by the arm, just above the elbow, I turned to see who it was and immediately started to fight to free my arm.

"I've told you before, little girl, don't fight me." Melnick said, very pleased with himself

I could feel his nails – rather long and sharp for a man – digging into my flesh, it hurt but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing it. "Let go of my arm." I said as calmly as I could.

"Or what?" he laughed. "You're mine, little girl. Your father sold you to me. I'm sure you already knew that."

I didn't know about the sold part but it wasn't hard to figure. Father would try to get as much as he could out of his daughters since he didn't need them to preserve the family name, I thought he had gotten something out of engaging Emily to Adam too, but I just didn't feel it was the time to wonder about it. "I don't belong to you, if you made some trade with my father, fix it with him. But he has no power over me."

"Would you disgrace your family by refusing your father's word?" he asked, gripping harder.

"My father manages to disgrace the family on his own, especially by being friends with a scummy rat like you. Now, let go of my arm."

"Or what?" he repeated.

I slammed my free hand to his nose, my palm hitting upward as my brother had taught me. Melnick shirked and gripped harder. But by then we had an audience and someone hit Melnick in the back of the head and he finally let me go.

I stood there in shock till the man who had hit Melnick said: "Run, milady." And I ran.

Unfortunately, Melnick decided to chase me, and he moved quite fast for someone his age. My heart was drumming fast, I could feel it in my throat and I realized I was scared. I knew I had been lucky, if Melnick caught with me before I found Chris...

Melnick was close and I tripped, I braced myself for the fall but it never came, someone caught me by the arms kept me on my feet.

"What's going one here?" Chris asked in his most king-like voice as he put his arms around me, I realized I was shaking.

"Melnick is here," I said trying to catch my breath. Just as I said it, Melnick appeared, bleeding from the nose.

"You did that?" Chris asked and I nodded.

"Milord," Melnick started but Chris interrupted.

"Melnick, would you care to explain why are you causing mayhem in my Market?"

"Milord," Melnick repeated. "That girl," he pointed at me, "ran away from her family months ago I was just trying to convince her to go back to them, since they are worried," Chris snorted but Melnick either didn't notice or chose to ignore, instead he murmured a bit about being friends with my father and ended with: "... and her father gave me her hand in marriage, I just want her to keep her part in the deal I made with her father."

"That," Chris said dryly, "Would be very complicated, Melnick, since Kaze is already married to me,"

"But her father..." Melnick cried outraged and in shock.

"Marry her father if he is the one who gave you his word." Chris said. "But you leave my wife alone."

I shifted so I could take a good look at Melnick's stupid face, but when I did so I had to flinch, when I moved my left arm it hurt like hell, I looked down and saw that I had four deep scrapes where Melnick had dug his fingers, two of them were bleeding and all of them had bruises surrounding them.

Chris looked down and saw it too. His expression was boiling with anger when he spoke next, surprisingly his voice was cold, so cold it made me shiver a little, "Guards," he called and gave orders for Melnick to be put on hold until he could be dealt with.

Then he walked me to our room in silence and left me there with Carla- who helped me to clean my wounds and patch them up – while he went to deal with Melnick. Then Carla made me change into a nightgown and had dinner with me in my room. I wasn't feeling that hungry but she reminded me I need to eat well in my condition. I had told Carla already, I had bumped into her a few moments after I found out and I couldn't control myself; though I had yet to tell Chris.

Chris came back late, he was pacing around – looking restless – and still seemed plenty mad. And I did the worst possible thing I could: I burst into tears.

-----------------------------------

**Chris**

I stopped my pacing when I heard the crying sounds, I had only heard them once before but I wasn't likely to forget. Kaze was crying. I rushed to her side, she was seating on the bed and I kneel in front of her. "What's wrong? Does something hurt?" I asked frantically.

Kaze shook her head but then started to talk very fast through her tears, I only got the last part; "... and I was careless, I felt safe and forgot about him and he did this and I got scared," she lifted her arm, now with a proper bandage around it, "and now your mad at me."

"What?!" I yelled and that sent her into fresh tears.

I tried to calm down and sat next to her, pulling her to my arms and rocking her gently, "Please, don't cry, I beg you," I pleaded feeling the moisture of her tears against the skin of my neck where she had buried her face. When her sobs quieted I asked gently, "Why would I be mad at you?"

"Because I was stupid and got myself hurt."

This time I shook my head, "Kaze, listen. I am mad, that's true, but not at you, never at you. I'm angry at myself because I was the one that forgot and got careless, I forgot to tell you I had summoned Melnick to discuss some things he has been doing since King Lionel fell ill and I let you alone, I knew he was coming and forgot to put a guard with you and he did that to your arm and it looks like it hurts and it's all my fault."

"It's not your fault." Kaze said, she wasn't crying and I felt relived, "And it doesn't hurt that bad anymore."

We were in silence for a while, "I don't know what I would have done if something..." I said, just the thought of something bad happening to her...

"I know."

"When I felt your fear, Kaze, it was like... I don't know how to explain. I just knew I had to find you, you were so scared..."

She sat up and looked at me. "Yes, I was," she admitted, there was no point in denying, she knew that when her emotions were strong enough I could feel them through the bond we shared since binding our lives and magic together. Right then though, she wasn't feeling at all scared, in fact there was something playful around her... "I was afraid something would happen to us if I didn't found you in time."

"Us?" I asked confused, "You mean to you and me?"

"No." She said and smiled. "I meant our baby and me."

-----------------

End of Chapter Twelve.


	13. Sister, Sister

**LOVE & MAGIC**

**Chapter Thirteen: Sister, sister**

**Kaze**

It was tradition in Circe that the marriage ritual was performed with only the groom and bride and their parents in attendance, then the couple would leave for their honey moon and too weeks later there would be a banquet and that was called the wedding.

When Chris and I got the invitation for Emily's wedding I was over the moon, Marco had told me that Emily had fought with my father because she wanted to include me in the guests list and he wouldn't let her, Marco said she had been real sad about it, that Emily missed me. Father could stop me to go to my sister wedding as Kaze Lhite, but he didn't count on the fact that I was Kaze Lhite no longer, and as Lady Windam there was nothing he could do to stop me from seeing my sister at her wedding party.

The banquet was scheduled by early January, which suit Chris and me just fine since we were finally taking our "honeymoon" trip on late December and would be near Circe anyway. I was so excited I could barely hold myself still, if it weren't because of the baby and Chris constantly repeating that it wasn't good for me or the baby that I jumped around I would have been doing so.

It was so weird because when I left Lhite I never thought I would miss Emily as much as I had and now that I was going to see her again I couldn't believe how excited I was. I wasn't going to take chances, my sister wanted a perfect party – I had heard her repeat it enough times, since we were kids and she started to plan her wedding as, I was informed, it was normal for girls to do, I was always more concerned with horses and swords though – so I let Carla pick up my clothes for me and the jewelry to go with it so I looked just right among my sister friends since I knew that was important to Emily.

Marco, Carla, Chris and me showed up together in the ballroom of the Circe Palace, but after a little while they leaved me alone, Marco wanted to introduce Carla to our parents and since Chris was his closest relative it was proper for him to be there when Carla got introduced. I didn't mind, so far no one had recognized me and I was scanning the crowd for the one face I would recognize.

We spotted each other at the same time and she did a double take as I waved her to signify it was me. A smile lit up her already beautiful face and she started towards me, I was so happy that my own smile didn't waver, not even after I saw that Emily had Adam in tow.

----------------

**Emily**

First I thought it was being tricked by my own wish to see her but then I saw her wave in the unladylike fashion that was so her, something she had picked up from our brother and his friends.

"Kaze," I said into her hair as we hugged tight. I drew back to that a good look at her. She looked more or less the same as the last time I had seen her wearing a gown – my 21st birthday party – only that... "Why do you have a tan in the middle of winter?"

"Oh," she said as if she hadn't realized of it, "Well, before coming her I was at Andre's by-the-sea village."

"Andre?"

"Prince Andre, from Seaside?" she offered. "You know, they don't get winter in Seaside."

"I actually did know that." I said in my big sister voice, something she used to hate but now only made her smile. I took another look, "Hey, you got to tell me where you got that necklace," I added, as usual, distracted by shinny things, and her necklace was rather impressive – deep blue zafiros and clear white diamonds - and shinny; in fact, I was just beginning to notice that everything about her appearance screamed 'wealth'.

Kaze touched it absently, "Birthday present," she said. "I thought it was a bit too much but no one listened to me. I would have settled for cookies as a present."

"I bet you would have." A masculine voice said as the owner moved to stand by Kaze side. Surprisingly, it was King Christopher – though, since it was just a mildly formal event, it was ok to just call him Lord Windam. My surprise only grew when I saw him reach out and slip his arm around my sister's waist, his hand lingering there with affection for a moment before he turned his attention to me.

"Lady Emily," he said while taking my hand and kissing, a common way of showing respect for a married lady from an already mated man, "Lord Circe," he added letting go of my hand and acknowledging Adam who stood stony silent behind me. "Congratulations for your wedding, may you two be as happy as I am with my wife,"

I didn't know who the new queen of Windam Valley was but I was about to find out. Just as he finished saying 'wife', Christopher moved back to Kaze side, just that this time he wrapped both arms around her and kissed her temple. My sister acted is it was oh-so-natural and I saw her place her left hand over Christopher's, and as she did so, I saw the blue diamond of her engagement ring and the wedding band on her ring finger; and I saw the matching band on his finger.

"You two are married?" I heard Adam asking at my back. His voice still startled me, he rarely talked to me. Hell, he hadn't even touched me since our wedding night, and he hadn't – not even in our most intimated moment – been even half as affectionate as my sister's husband was being with her at that moment.

"It took some convincing but I got her to say yes," Christopher said proudly.

"But you hate him." I heard Adam protest with far more vehemence that he had while saying 'I do' and I wondered why I was noticing all these stuff so suddenly, why this was bothering me.

Kaze just giggled. Christopher answered. "A lot of people seem to have that impression,"

"But actually, he just has an uncanny talent to irk me no-end once in a while," Kaze said, you could hear the love in her voice. "But Chris is pretty adorable most of the time."

"I just got called adorable and I actually feel flattered, there is no doubt, I'm getting soft with age." He managed to say with a straight face before he and Kaze burst into laughter.

They seemed to live in their own happy little world, "You're so anci-"Kaze started but then broke off turning pale and leaning back into Christopher's chest, who just held her tighter.

"Are you okay?" Adam, Christopher and I asked at the same time, but no one laughed.

"I'm fine." She said looking up to her husband first and then turning to me, ignoring Adam for all effects and purposes. "It's just a bit of a dizzy-spell; I get them sometimes with the baby and all." She smiled.

"You're pregnant?!" I exclaimed surprised.

"Yes, just three months, Jadzia told me when I was on my fifth week."

It wasn't an uncommon thing for Jadzia and other magic creatures from her forest to inform women they were pregnant, especially when the kid was going to have magic as a Windam child was bound to have.

"She is just starting to show," Christopher informed me.

I heard Adam grunt something at my back. I turned to see him, for some reason he looked angry and didn't even seem to notice me. I looked back at my sister and then back to Adam again. As I watched Adam's expression I finally understood. There was longing there. Adam longed to be in Christopher's position: looking at his wife pretty face as he caressed her pregnant belly, getting big with his baby.

I finally understood Adam's stony silence, his lack of affection for me, everything. Adam didn't love me; his heart already had an owner: my own sister... and I never saw it into just then, at my 'wedding'.

-------------

**Kaze**

I thought Emily looked weird for a second, for the first time in my life I noticed it she was older than me. I mean I always knew but she never had actually looked it, she was always charming and mature, never just older. She glanced at Adam and I saw something in her expression; then she shook her head and her usual bright smile was there but she seemed uneasy.

I didn't manage to care about it for long though, because dinner was about to be served and lately I always got very distracted at the sight of food. I ended up sitting between Marco and Chris, which was good and bad at the same time. Good because they would give me anything I wanted – like Marco gave me his baked potatoes and Chris his dessert – but bad because they also spent most of their time hovering over me.

My parents, on the other hand spent most of their time ignoring me, and when they addressed me it was always formal, which put both Marco and Chris in an ill disposition towards them and left Carla and Emily to carry on with the polite conversation.

"So," Emily said, "How long where these two engaged?" She was getting the full story from Carla.

"It was a really short engagement," Carla said, "About one and a half."

"Months?" Emily asked, surprised. One and a half months WAS a short engagement.

Chris laughed, "Hours." He took my hand, "I just figured I couldn't live without her, so I asked her and married her the same day, before she got time to change her mind."

I always blushed when he talked like that, as if I were a big prize he had won; all my life I had been told I wasn't good enough –not pretty like Emily, not smart like Marco, simply not good enough - but Chris... he always made me feel both loved and wanted, like I was something special... precious.

---------

**Chris**

"Things are going really well in Mhalta, Queen Eleanor is making an excellent job as a regent, and King Lionel is doing a lot better now that he has less pressure on him, his health is improving quickly. I expect to have my troops out of Mhalta by early spring." I said.

After dinner, men and women ended at opposite ends of the large sitting room, each group discussing whatever they discussed when the other party wasn't around. In our case, we were talking politics. Well, Marco and I were talking politics, most of the other men didn't dare to voice opinion and the host himself, Adam, wasn't really at all that talkative either.

"That's wonderful, ever since King Lionel fell ill, Melnick was on the lose." Marco said, "And with Joshua being so young, and the council don't accepting to be ruled by someone who was only royal by marriage there was not much Queen Eleanor could do,"

"Yes. But now things seem to be getting back to normal in Mhalta. And Melnick is no longer a concern."

"Whatever happened to him?"

"Well... you know what happened last time he decided to pay a visit to Cloud City." I said slowly, it was not a topic I was comfortable discussing, especially for what Melnick had done to Kaze, Melnick had put both my wife and child on danger, and my anger about it still boiled too hot and too close to the surface, though I managed to control it most of the time, "Kaze and I decided it was not up to us to judge him for his crimes so we turned it back to Mhalta and Lady Eleanor saw he had a proper trial, last I heard he was sentenced to 30 years in the salt mines."

"Not surprising," Marco said, "Melnick managed to get enough people hurt or pissed off... he thought he was king while his brother was sick... but it all went back to him... I can't really say I feel bad for him though I know I wouldn't wish the salt mines to my worst enemy but, for Melnick, I'm willing to make an exception."

"Me too." I answered curtly.

The salt mines were no joke, they were the highest punishment anyone could get in Mhalta; most people preferred death than working endless hours in the mines, with the cold and the wet and the air that was too thick to breathe it. Most of the people sent there died within the first two years working there. For the most part, the goblins worked the mines, humans were only sent there for punishment. The goblins actually loved the mines; that was why no one felt bad about using the salt extracted from there.

Both Marco and I were silent for a second, "Anyway..." He trailed off and smiled, I turned to see what he was looking and I saw Kaze coming toward us. I couldn't help but to smile too. I would never get tired of just watching her.

At first it took me a while to see it, the first thing I did notice were her eyes, then it was her way of just being herself – even while faking being someone else – and then I came to see and understand her true beauty. It wasn't an in-your-face kind of pretty, a distracting beauty... she just was... Kaze: her beauty quiet, serene.

Kaze smiled at Marco but hugged herself at my side. I lowered my gaze to her, "Sleepy?" I asked and she nodded. "Marco, gentlemen, if you excuse me." I said as a goodbye, starting to steer us around.

"Of course. Good night Kaz."

"'Night, Marco," she said with a sleepy voice that I just knew it was fake.

And I was right, as soon as we made it to our room she wasn't' at all sleepy. In fact, it was all her fault we stayed up till two in the morning, acting like bunnies just released out of jail. Not that I'm complaining. I was really enjoying myself and fully appreciating the joys of the married life.

--------

**Emily**

Late that night I was getting ready to bed, thinking in what Kaze had told me earlier when I had been able to be alone with her for a few moments.

"_Yes, I was with Adam for a while. Nothing beyond kissing, I swear" _Kaze had said, _"I didn't know you two were betrothed, as soon as I found out I ended it. You're my sister and that's more important than any guy, please believe that."_

"_Do you still love Adam?"_

"_No."_ There was no doubt in her voice. _"The only man I love is Christopher 'Horse Stealer' Windam."_

That I could believe. There was no doubt about it: Kaze loved her husband. I knew her; she wouldn't have married him if she didn't. I envied her. She married for love; I was married because I was told to. I thought I loved Adam, at first I really did but now that I knew he didn't love me back well...

"Hey, there." Adam said smiling as he slipped his arms around me. I wiggled out of his embrace. "What's wrong?" He asked trying to move closer.

I considered it for a moment and decided to tell the truth. "Nothing. I just really rather not have you touching me while you're thinking about my pregnant little sister."

He didn't even try to deny it. "Kaze told you?"

"She told me you're, basically, a two timing bastard." I answered, for once not worrying about being proper.

"Yes, I've been called that before." He said as if he didn't care. "Too bad for you you're stuck with me."

"Oh no, you are stuck with me, Adam." I informed him. "If you think I'm just going to let this slip by, you're delusional."

"Really? What are you going to do?"

"For starters, if you don't behave you simply won't have an heir... I won't let you touch me and you know that any child born out of wedlock doesn't qualify as heir to the throne. I'll let your line die with you."

"An exactly how do you plan to do that? You're my wife, Emily, I have rights."

"And I have a brother who can and will kick your ass." Adam winced, and I saw knew he was afraid of Marco. Good, something on my favor, so far I had only been bluffing, now I had something to hold to. "However, if you ever manage to make me feel a bit of... respect for you. I just might consider giving you an heir, which is all you ever wanted from me." I said because, after all, that was my only duty as his wife.

"And how do I do that? Ear your respect I mean."

"You could start by pretending to be a man and stop drooling over another man's wife. As for the rest, I'll make the rules as I go, but for now I'm going to bed." I declared shoving pass him and blowing of the candles, leaving us in the dark.

From my side of the bed all I could see was Adam's profile. After a few minutes he started towards the bed and not three seconds later I heard him shriek in pain as he slammed his shin against one of the sharp corners of the bed.

"Serves you well." I said in a loud whisper as my married life begun.

---------------

**End of chapter Thirteen**

**--------------**

**Notes: **

**Now I'm wondering why I didn't just dropped this back at chapter 11... now I have to think of an end... **

**Is almost four in the morning, please forgive the bad grammar and stuff.**

**Much love,**

**CrazyClavie. **


	14. Time Went By

**LOVE & MAGIC**

**Chapter Fourteen: Time Went By**

**_(Approximately Five Years after the beginning of Love& Magic...)_**

Marco Lhite took the throne of the Lhite Country the six months after his sister Emily's wedding; he did not lose anytime and promptly cleaned his court from his father's friends and set into fix the former king's misdoings. That same year he married Carla Windam, with the full blessing of his majesty King Christopher of the Windam Valley- who was all too happy about getting rid of his nutcase cousin.

Though he never objected the marriage, Chris did ask Marco if he was crazy for wanting to marry Carla.

"I love my cousin," Chris said, "but I rather take her in small doses."

Marco only laughed... leaving the question about his sanity unanswered.

Marco's and Carla's union produced a couple of twin girls, one crazier than the other but both equally loved by their parents. Marco is still to name his heir among his two daughters –and the other children that might still come – deciding to wait for them to grow up to see which one was more apt to be in charge.

----

After months of fighting and bickering, Emily and Adam settled for friendship, though it was always clear that Emily was the one wearing the trousers in their relationship. They never fell in love – with one another – but they did manage to learn to love each other.

"I care for Adam, but I do not love him the way you love Christopher." Emily declared. "I learned to love him, I never fell in love."

"What's the difference between learning to love and falling in love?" Kaze asked.

"Falling in love is surprise, desire, feelings beyond lust or friendship... something that just is, you can't fight it, and you can't deny it. Falling in love comes out of the very essence of romantic love, something that takes your breath away and then gives it back. Learning to love is different, is more quiet and calm, you never feel like you can't breathe when your near the object of your 'affection' because is just that: Affection, is not an all consuming fire that leaves you astonished, amazed and – most of all – alive. Learning to love comes out from friendship, sometimes gratitude, but is all about resignation."

"Sounds sad,"

"Sounds real." Emily said quietly. "But I don't feel sorry for myself, Kaze, and you shouldn't feel sorry for me."

Four years after their marriage, Emily finally got pregnant; she'll be mother for the first time in the fall.

Deep down, Adam always lived with regret. Each time he saw Kaze he felt like dying, but he also figured that was what he deserved for being such a coward.

----

As for Kaze and Chris...

It was the day before the King's festival, a day Chris always took off from king-duty, it was a tradition he had... he always took his family for a picnic by the river side on that particular day. The day before he had celebrated the fourth anniversary of his wedding to Kaze, that day was all about his wife, today was all about his family as a whole.

"Chris!" Kaze yelled from good 30 feet away.

Chris looked up from the blanket he was laying in the grass, but then looked down as he felt something run by his side, in a blur he saw little bare feet running down towards the river. Chris started in that direction and caught his son in the shallow part of the river just before he fell into one of the deep parts.

"Alexander!" Chris called in his king-voice, picking up his soon-to-be-four-years-old son until they were at eye level. "What have I told you about running away from your mother?" He added, standing in the river, with the water running little above his ankles.

"So-rry," Alec said carefully, he knew that he was in trouble when his dad used his full name. Alec tried to appear sorry, once he saw Chris's scowl disappear from his brow Alec added. "Look!" and then opened his little hand and dropped a little frog into his dad's outstretched palm. "Green!"

"This is a frog,"

"Nuh uh, Green!" Lately, Alec had taken to call things by their color instead of by their name even when he knew it.

"Frog,"

"Green,"

"Frog,"

"Green,"

"Green,"

"Frog!" Alec yelled happily.

"Okay, you win." Chris said while walking out of the river.

"Is he okay?" Kaze asked worriedly as she shifted their baby daughter from her left arm to her right.

"Yeah, Alec just found a new friend," Chris said while putting the frog right in front of Kaze's face.

Kaze jumped, "Don't do that. Cherith is afraid of them."

Cherith – or Cherry as her brother had dubbed her since he could not pronounce her name and Cherry was the only other world he could remember at the time that started with 'Che' – was Chris's and Kaze's daughter, only seven months old.

"No, you're the one who is afraid of them." Chris said and to prove his point he put the little green frog in front of his daughter; who reached for it, poked it with her little finger and giggled. "See?"

"Okay," Kaze admitted, frogs were one of her secret fears, "Now, put it away."

"No, mommy, he is mine!" Alec wailed, still in Chris's arms.

"Let him have it," Chris said to Kaze, "he will lose it soon, anyway."

Kaze stared at her son's pitiful face – Alec had retrieved the frog from his dad and was holding it in his hands – and it was too much for a mom to take, "Fine," she said, "But if he takes it home is all on you, Chris."

Later, Kaze sat on the edge of the river, just dipping in her feet, holding Cherry while Chris taught Alec to swim in one of the deep parts of the river, then they switched kids and Alec sat with his mom while Chris held Cherry in the water –making sure her head and shoulders were always above the surface - as she squealed in delight and happily moved her arms splashing water all over her dad.

After lunch, Alec sat with Cherry in a blanket over the grass, Frog jumping around between them. Alec liked his little sister because, while a girl, she wasn't like his cousins – Marco's twins Jenna and Laura – who cried and wailed half of the time, and if not they blurted words out fast enough to make his head ache. Cherry rarely cried, and she never wailed her head off when their mom or dad put her down a little to pick Alec up and pamper him a bit – he still was a baby, after all - and she liked Alec's frog, which gave her major little-sister-points.

Alec heard his mom singing, she singed often but it was mostly the same song about time and lovers and moonlight, as he turned to see Alec noticed Chris standing behind Kaze, holding still, just watching and hearing. Alec knew his dad often did that.

Then Chris walked up to Kaze, dropped to his knees and laid down, his head on Kaze's lap. Kaze started to run her fingers through Chris' still slightly wet, dark hair as she kept singing. Alec saw Chris mumble something and Kaze smiled, leaning down to kiss him.

Alec rolled his eyes. Once his parents started kissing there was no way to stop them. Alec sat there under the early summer sun and considered his options; he could try another dash to the river but that might get his dad mad, and then Chris would take Frog away...

So Alec went for his second option and turned his attention to his sister, deciding that –while their parents kissed – playing with Cherry wasn't such a bad way for time to go by.

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End of Chapter Fourteen.

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End of Love & Magic.


End file.
